


The Path of Nine

by FlightFright



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: A whole lot of people my dudes, Been thinking about writing this for years, Didn't feel like typing up every single character, Get ready for a ridiculous amount of yelling and running around various cities, In the Unites States and Croatia, Multi, My wattpad account, Psyche is the mom friend and the goddess of memes because she does whatever she wants, Scream into the void with me as I juggle this story, and college
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-09
Updated: 2018-04-25
Packaged: 2019-01-10 23:30:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 36
Words: 89,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12310176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlightFright/pseuds/FlightFright
Summary: Of course the peace wouldn't last for Nico di Angelo, it never did, but it still made him want to raise several armies of the dead to murder whoever had kidnapped Will.What starts out as investigating a possible clue in New York City ends in Nico traveling the world to find and confront whatever is responsible for the disappearance of Greek and Roman demigods alike. With the camps at each other's throats over the missing heroes, Nico must become an ambassador in a war that could tear them all down for good, find Will Solace, and team up with the god of love himself to protect everything he holds dear.





	1. When the World Goes to Heck, Go Back to Sleep

**Author's Note:**

> Alright my dudes, welcome to "The Power of Nine"! Beware: this story has graphic depictions of Nico kicking serious ass. Also regular violence, nothing too terrible. It might get a little darker as it goes on, so I will let you guys know if I'm about to post a chapter that could be upsetting to some viewers. Stay safe, y'all.

It wasn’t like Nico was expecting the universe to give him a break. He wasn’t that hopeful, even after traveling all over the world to bring the Athena Parthenos to Camp Half-Blood, after the battle against the giants, after Apollo had shown up as a teenage boy with one of the worst cases of acne Nico had ever seen. By this point in his life he had pretty much accepted that until the end of his days, weird and often terrifying crap was going to be thrown in his face and he was just going to have to deal with it. And you know what? That was okay.

What was not okay, however, was the universe taking all its metaphorical daddy issues on the people he cared about.  
Looking back, Nico was pretty sure it began on the day when he had got into a fight with one of Will’s younger sibling’s friend’s… Sister? In short, said younger sibling (what was that girl’s name?) had admitted to spreading rumors about Hazel behind her back. While Nico was now fairly sure it was nothing more than regular drama he had taken it upon himself to absolutely thrash the kid in the arena during sword training.

By the time Will had gotten to the arena Nico had the girl’s face smashed into the sand and one arm twisted so badly behind her back it was bound to have been dislocated. He knew he had taken it too far, but he was too pissed to care.

He still didn’t think it warranted Will yelling at him for an hour straight before storming off after getting the kid to the infirmary, with Nico spitting insults after him.

Whatever. Will could fuss over bratty kids all he wanted. Nico didn’t give a crap (he most definitely did, but nobody needed to know that).  
So when he was woken up by yelling that night, there was a sick feeling in his stomach.

<>

“One from every cabin. This is way too precise to be some overpowered monster. I’m getting Clarisse up here-“

“Why would they take her? Why? She’s seven!”

“I’m getting search parties in the woods, just in case-“

“Call Percy and Annabeth too, let them know-“

“Right. And Rachel, too!”

“Where the hell is Harvey? Go get a head count-!”

Nico could already feel a headache building by the time he stumbled into the Big House. Kayla spotted him first and all but dragged him to the ping pong table.

“What’s going on?” He immediately noticed the absence of one certain son of Apollo and frowned. “Where’s Will?”

“That’s the thing,” Kayla said, jaw clenched slightly. “Nobody knows. Piper got up earlier because she had a nightmare and saw that Lacy was gone. When she went looking she couldn’t find her anywhere. She went to go get Will, but he was missing, too. Several rude awakenings later, we find out one’s missing from every cabin of the Olympians. None of the children of the minor gods are missing, though, so I guess there’s that.

Nico’s stomach rolled uneasily. Austin shuffled up to them, hands stuffed in his Batman robe pockets. “So if one kid from every Olympian cabin is gone, why’s Nico still here?”

“Thanks,” Nico said dryly.

Austin stuck his tongue out at him. “Shut up, you know what I mean.”

A loud bang caused everyone to jump and glance at the source of the sound.

Dionysus lowered the pistol. “Oh, relax, the lot of you. It was a blank and I needed a way to shut you all up.”

“Put the gun away, Lord Dionysus, I think they’re rattled enough.” Chiron rolled into the room on his wheelchair. “Sorry for the wait, I just got a call from Olympus. Apparently a few minor gods and goddesses have gone missing as well.”

“Which ones?” Malcolm asked.

“Hebes. Theogonia. Aether.”

“Youth. Division. Light,” the son of Athena muttered. A couple of his siblings that stood behind them gathered together, talking quickly.

Chiron raised a hand, silencing them. “And Camp Jupiter is effected by this as well.”

Nico’s fists clenched. “Hazel?”

“Hazel is fine,” Chiron assured him, “But one hero of every god other than Hades is gone. To where, we know not. Rachel has yet to give a prophecy.”

“Jason? Thalia?” Piper asked.

“Jason is missing, yes, and so is Thalia.”

Piper swore and dug her dagger into the wall. “How many search parties are out, Sherman?”

“Ten.”

“Good. Send another one out when they get back.”

Sherman actually nodded in agreement. Nico guessed he was a little scared of Piper, which was understandable. He’d seen her stab a giant in the crotch with that dagger of hers.

  
Oh gods, Will. Nico felt a lump grow in his throat. Why did the last thing he had to say to him be an insult? He just wanted to take it all back. More than that he wanted to get going already, wanted to find his boyfriend and the others and get them home.

There was really nothing for them to do except wait for Rachel to cough up an omen, so everybody went back to their cabins.

Lacy from Aphrodite. Mark from Hermes. Thalia and Jason. Harvey. Will. So many.

Nico stared blankly at the wall, heart and mind racing. This had to be some kind of bad dream.

He shoved his face into his pillow and let loose with the cursing.

<>

He didn’t mean to pass out, but eventually he must have raged to the point of exhaustion. Wouldn’t be the first time.

Nico stood at the edge of a skyscraper, the cold winter wind whipping around him like an icy dustdevil. He gasped at the cold and laced his arms tightly around himself.

“I’m telling you, sister dear. They won’t possibly say no. They can’t.”

He turned to see the shadows of two people behind a pillar. Slowly, he crept forward, trying to not shake from the chill.

One was a beautiful woman, almost glowing pinkish gold from her skin. Her honey hair tumbled down her back, and despite the weather she wore a simple white sundress. Warmth radiated from her like a lantern and Nico forced himself to not edge closer.

The other had to be the sister the other lady was talking about, even though she was barely even a ghost. Her form faded in and out of existence, bits of pieces flashing with no set pattern. She was the same color as moonlight, of a single star in the evening sky, and Nico suddenly felt even colder. Her mouth moved like she was speaking, but no noise came out.

The other woman- definitely a goddess, Nico knew, just laughed. “Sister dear, you have no need to fret. I’ll handle everything, and you can come back to us and reclaim your throne in the night sky. If all goes well, you’ll be real again by spring.”

The golden goddess waved her hand through the apparition and sighed blissfully, breath steaming in the night.

She smiled and turned to Nico. “What are you waiting for, Ghost King? Come find me.”

Nico woke in a cold sweat.


	2. Can Nico Get A Uuuhhhhhhhhhhh Clue As To What the Heck is Going On

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm supposed to be picking up special paper for an art project for class right now but then I remembered time isn't real.

In hindsight it probably wasn't the greatest idea to just take off without telling anyone, but nobody ever said Nico was the most levelheaded guy around.

He threw some clothes into an enchanted backpack Lou Ellen had gave him awhile back, along with some energy bars and a water bottle. He dug around for some ambrosia and nectar and shoved those in, too. Compass? Check. Comb? Check.

Footsteps pounded up the stairs to the Hades cabin, and Nico barely had time to shove his stuff under his bunk before Cecil Markowitz came barging in like Grover Underwood during enchilada day.

"Dudeholycrap we have a lead! I repeat, we have a lead- what are you doing? Why are you up at like three in the morning?"

Nico looked up at him from the floor, doing his best to shove his sword under a carpet. "What? Nothing. Why are _you_ up at three in the morning?"

Cecil made a face at him. "Nice try, di Angelo."

"I had a dream. There was this goddess on top of a building, in New York-"

Cecil's eyes blew wide. "That's it! Lou Ellen had the same dream!"

"She did?" Nico ran his finger over his black blade. "Can you go get her for me? I'm thinking this might be a good start of a quest."

"But Rachel hasn't given a prophecy yet."

"Markowitz. Look me in the eyes and ask me if I care about a prophecy while Will and a bunch of other kids have been kidnapped."

"Okay, okay. Grouchy as ever." The son of Hermes flipped Nico the bird before taking off, leaving the door open behind him. Nico was pretty sure he did that on purpose.

The moment the son of Hermes disappeared Nico made for the shadows.

<>

And regretted it instantly.

As soon as Nico became one with the darkness he heard the souls of the damned dead crying out for him, trying to drag him to them so that he would be lost forever as well. Usually it wasn't too bad, but somehow this time was worse.

A reedy cry almost made Nico lose his concentration, and then something snagged his ankle.

He shouted and tumbled out into the night.

When he peeled his face off the concrete he saw an abandoned building just down the way. Beyond that, near-deserted streets were lit up only once or twice from cars. Police sirens wailed in the distance. It was definitely the one from his dream; there was that same pillar on top that supported a broken antenna. He figured he must be in Harlem, where a few of Will's siblings were from. Will had brought him along to meet one of his sister's parents. They had been really nice to him, and once the father had revealed he was from Italy they talked for hours about Venice.

Nico looked away and swallowed before heading for the building.

Just before he crossed the street he saw a group of guys approaching his location. Immediately even more on guard, he darted across and slipped into the shadow of a neighboring drug store. He decided against shadow travel for the moment and waited until the guys crossed the street to get a better look at them.

At first they looked like a group of thugs- One carried a small knife on his belt, another had his hands in his hoodie pocket like he was cradling something. They looked around with narrowed eyes, and then Nico almost swore when he saw the Mist fall away to reveal their true faces.

One eye per Cyclopes scanned the area before focusing on Nico's corner. The son of Hades backed away, keeping silent.

"Do you smell a demigod or not? I swear, Eugene, your nose gets worse every century," one of the bigger monsters complained.

"Shut up! If my nose is so bad why don't you take a whiff?"

"You know, I think I will." The huge cyclopes headed over to the front of the drug store, inhaling deeply. Eugene growled something at his gang, and they spread out. Nico strode away without a sound. If he could cut across that parking lot he could get right into that building...

"Hey! Eugene, you sonuva gun! That kid is a demigod after all!"

Nico broke into a sprint. Grumbling under his breath, he risked a quick shadow-travel to the back of the building. The door was locked, but a window a story above him had been smashed open. He grabbed the edge of a nearby dumpster and dragged himself up.

"Skull! He's gettin' away!" Eugene the Cyclopes roared, thundering towards Nico.

Nico leapt up on to the brick wall that divided one part of the lot from the other and drew his sword. "Don't make me send you back to Tartarus."

"He's got a mouth on him too. Even better," the monster called back to his thugs, not taking his eyes of Nico.

He seemed to be pretty smart for a Cyclopes, or until Nico yelled "Holy _Hera_ what is _that?!"_

When Eugene whipped around to see what the son of Hades was looking at, Nico struck. Gripping the wall with one hand and holding his sword with the other, he swung at the Cyclopes' head and took it clean off, dissolving the monster into golden dust. He dragged himself back up and sprinted for the ledge below the broken window. Just as the other Cyclopes discovered their friend's dusty remains with bellows of anger Nico leapt.

Skinny fingers found purchase, but his feet did not. Nico grunted and pedaled furiously against the worn brick before he finally hauled himself up by the windowsill. Glass cut into his hands and he nearly fell.

Inside, broken glass littered the floor, along with bottles and plastic bags. A lone shopping cart laid forlornly on its side. Other than that it wasn't terrible at all. Nico figured it must have been only recently abandoned. There were still a few desks against one wall and a empty vending machine by the open door. Another door had the label "Stairwell", so he broke the lock with his sword and climbed up to the roof.

He got hit by a blast of chilly air when he forced the hatch open, but it was nothing compared to the freezing winter winds in his dream. There was no glowing goddesses, no foreboding snowstorm. The city lights lit up the area with their familiar glow.

Nico huffed and turned to head back downstairs to search for something, anything, but then the space behind him lit up in brilliant violet.

Standing just a few feet away was the goddess from Nico's dream. She wore a plain white dress and had her hair up, with a pink peacoat and flats to complete the look. She smiled brilliantly at Nico, looking like an aunt delighted to see one of her favorite nephews.

"Nico di Angelo, son of Hades! I've heard so much about you. Come, sit with me. We have much to talk about."

"Oh... Um, yes ma'am. But who are you?"

The goddess sighed, not looking offended, just tired. "I suppose my image isn't exactly plastered everywhere. Not your fault, of course. I am Eos, Goddess of the Dawn."

"Oh, now I remember you." Nico tried to recall what he knew about Eos other than the fact she was more or less the fanfare before Apollo brought forth the sun every day. He didn't come up with much other than that one guy she had fallen in love with... Tithonus, right?

He joined Eos at the edge of the building. Her beautiful face was lifted to the sky, like she was enjoying the crisp breeze.

"For the dawn goddess you seem to like the cold weather. I thought you wouldn't like winter because... you know. Not a whole lot of light," Nico wondered.

Eos smiled, looking amused. "Yes, but that makes every morning even more precious, don't you think? Every sunny day is so much more appreciated when winter freezes everything over."

Nico supposed she had a good point. "What did you want to talk to me about, Lady Eos?"

"The disappearances, of course! Poor Hebes, she always was a flighty soul," the goddess fretted. "Not to mention your friends at Camp Half-Blood. Now, even I don't know that much, but from what I do know something's not quite right in the Underworld. Ask your father about it when you have the time, he's bound to have better information than I do. And I'm afraid you won't be hearing a prophecy for this nonsense for a little bit."

"Why not?"

"Whatever's happening is effecting the Oracle's Sight, obviously, so everybody's going bananas trying to figure out what it is. Whatever happens, my dear Ghost King, relying on a gut instinct is sometimes better than any omen."

Before Nico could respond, a massive BANG! made him jump and whip around.

Eos glared at the hatch. "I have to go help my family now, Nico. Fight as hard as you can, always. The world may depend on it."

With that she was gone, and Nico was alone on a rooftop in Harlem.

BANG! This time a dent appeared in the metal. Nico growled and readied his sword and lunged, plunging it through the thin metal. Something on the other side let out an eerie shriek and dissipated, or so he hoped. When he drew his sword out and plunged it back in again he must have missed, as all he got were enraged hisses.

Stupid monsters.

The hatch flew off with a screech of twisting metal, and Nico was at once surrounded on all sides by angry... _somethings._ They had no real form, no real color. Nico felt the hatred radiating off them in waves. He swung hard at one, but it just cackled breathily and dodged. One went for his legs, but he stepped aside and stabbed his blade through it, letting the things drive him back to the hatch. Just as he let them think they were going to pin him down, he rolled forward, grabbed the mangled hatch, and flung it at one monster. It didn't hurt it, but it did confuse the thing long enough for Nico to vanish down the steps.

Angry screams followed him, sending ice water down his spine.

Before he could think of a plan to get out of there, something slammed into him. Nico barely had enough time to yell before something raked across his face and plunged his vision into darkness.

He screamed in pain and somehow beat his attackers off him with his sword. Thick, hot tears rolled down his face- or was it blood? Nico gasped and blinked desperately. Hissing laughter followed him as he stumbled around, swinging at any source of noise.

The chaotic symphony of laughter became louder as the things from the rooftop joined the fight. Nico tried to reach for some undead soldiers, but he was on the top floor and the ground was a treacherous blind hike down several flights of stairs.

Something cut at his leg, and Nico went down with a snarl. This was it, he was going to _die,_ he was going to _fail-_

Something grabbed his throat and he choked, "Will" before the weight was suddenly lifted off him.

An alarmed chitter sounded, and then panicked cries sounded as the unmistakable sound of a bowstring twanged almost silently. Nico covered his head as the roar of giant wings filled the air.

He felt the edge of the shelf he had seen earlier and pulled himself to his feet. All of hell sounded like it was being unleashed, with monsters screeching in pain and confusion. Something smashed and broke. Something came down in the room, judging by the spray of plaster that went all over Nico's face. Glass shattered. Something got thrown through a wall.

And then all was quiet.

Something- no, somebody grabbed his hand and then he was running.

He did his best to keep up, but whoever was pulling him along was stupid fast. "Who's there?"

No response.

Nico collided with his supposed rescuer as they abruptly stopped. They didn't seem bothered, instead pushing him forward.

"Who are you?"

Whoever it was shushed him. Nico had no choice but to let them do what they wanted.

Loud shouting wafted up from the floor below. Nico tensed. Then he felt himself being pushed again, this time quicker.

"Whoa! No, no, what are you-"

"There he is! That way!"

Nico swore. He'd almost forgotten about those Cyclopes.

The sound of a bowstring being released reached Nico's ears again, followed by a crying Cyclopes.

"I don't like this, man! Who shot Kevin?" one panicky monster yelped.

"Um, the kid?"

"The kid doesn't have a bow, dummy!"

"... Hang on, I'd know that style of arrow anywhere! That's one of Eros'!"

Every bone in Nico's body turned to ice.

The monsters went quiet as well. "Okay... Yeah. Ha ha. We'll leave. We're leaving! Bye!"

_Thwack!_

Another monster squealing in agony.

A strong hand gripped Nico's shoulder and he choked in fear. "Wh-what do y-"

And then he got tackled through a window.

<>

Nico didn't remember much of those seconds spent free-falling to the ground below other than being too frightened to even cry out.

A pair of arms wrapped tightly around him, and then Nico gasped and held on for dear life as they accelerated way faster than he thought was possible. He doubted he would see anything even if his eyes were working. The slow thunder of wingbeats seemed to mark time like the minute hand on a clock. _One, two, three, four..._

How long they flew, Nico had no idea, but suddenly they were slowing down. He swallowed and blinked, shivering wildly.

He felt it as they coasted down and finally landed. He was set down on his feet, which didn't go as planned when Nico almost fell. A hand on his arm steadied him, and then a lock clicked. It was warm inside as they entered.

"Hey, welcome back! I- Whoa, where'd you get that kid?"

"Himeros, meet Nico di Angelo," a deep, familiar voice said. Nico froze.

"Oh yeah! What's up, kiddo. Aw, look at him, Cupid, poor dude's scared shitless."

"He was clawed by a _Keres_ across his eyes, of course he's frightened," Cupid scoffed. "And watch your language, brother, he's but a child."

"Yeah yeah. Bring him here, I'll take care of his eyeballs."

A hand on his upper back almost made Nico go through with Himeros' apt description. He stumbled forward, shaking, and only let himself sit down when he felt Himeros guide him over to what felt like a couch.

"Alright buddy, hold on." Two hands touched Nico's temples, and then the darkness lifted.

A handsome, grinning face filled his view. "And he's back! We're gonna have to get Psyche to check whether all of the poison left his system, but he'll be fine."

Himeros was steel-eyed and had a head full of curly brown hair, kept back in a black band. His skin was only slightly darker than Nico's and more freckled.

Nico's eyes glanced to the more familiar love god looking at books on a nearby shelf. He looked exactly like he had when they met the first time in Split- black hair, lean, lanky build, handsome, charming features. He stiffened when Cupid glanced over at them, expecting that eerie, red-eyed stare, but the god's eyes were now a dazzling amber color.

"You're lucky I was in the area, Nico di Angelo. You would have most likely ended the night being supper for the _Keres."_

Nico's tongue felt like lead, but he forced himself to speak. "That's what those were? I thought _Keres_ just looked like demon women."

"They did," Cupid said, "Until recently."

Nico nodded, hoping he'd explain further, but was interrupted by the door banging open.

"Yooooo! You guys will not believe what just hap- Bruh." A gaggle of winged guys and one butterfly-winged woman paused in their antics to stare at Nico.

"Um, hi," he croaked.

"Hey, you're Nico di Angelo! Cupid, you were right, this kid really is the size of my leg!" the man with the golden wings boomed cheerfully.

Nico's mood soured. "Excu-"

"OhmiHeavens, _move,_ you apocalyptic buttwaffles," the woman huffed, striding over to Nico. "Sorry, bub, these morons have no idea how to interact like _normal_ people."

This goddess was obviously Psyche, Nico realized. She emitted strength and a type of easygoing energy that put Nico at ease. He relaxed a little and stood up, a bit surprised when she just shook his hand like she was any other stranger on the street.

She was incredibly beautiful, with dark, warm brown eyes, tawny skin, and dark hair in braids that was decorated with colorful metallic beads. A light spray of freckles coated her nose and cheeks. She wore a Marvel t-shirt and sweatpants, looking for all the world like a college student after a fun night out.

Cupid rushed over to her and embraced her tightly. Nico jumped back a little to give them some space while Psyche yelled in delight. The other Erotes headed upstairs, yawning. The big guy with the golden wings told Nico he could crash on the couch if he wanted.

He was probably terrified enough to have at least ten consecutive panic attacks, but then Psyche all but carried him to the couch and then he was sleeping.


	3. Still No Clue What's Happening, But There's Caves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Cupid's a douchcanoe, Nico missed his boyfriend, and Psyche just wants to go back to sleep.

In his dream Nico was in a cave.

There was a certain lucidness about it that set Nico on edge- he could hardly believe he wasn't awake. He turned and headed into the darker part of the tunnel. Around him water dripped down into crystal clear pools, otherwise undisturbed by the outside world. Soft rustling noises above him alerted him to the bats that had made their home in the cavern. Nico made sure to not make any sudden noises. He'd had the life just about scared out of him when he'd startled a bunch of bats in an abandoned house a few years back.

He wasn't sure what drew him further down, away from the dim moonlight streaming in from behind and the scent of fresh air. All that he knew was that something important was just ahead. With a certainty that surprised himself, he took a left into a narrow tunnel, and then a right. The temperature dropped.

A speck of light blinked into existence at the end. Breaking into a run, he made for it, but before he found where the light was coming from the dream flickered, like a bad television connection. He fell through solid rock and kept going.

_Wake up. Come on, wake up!_

The air grew stifling and reek with the scent of burning flesh and sulfur. Nico cried out as he landed on the glass shores of the River Cocytus. Blood flowed from his hands, spreading to his arms and torso and choking him around the neck.

_No, no, no-_

He scrabbled at the noose of blood around his neck, desperately trying to rise to his feet, but then he was once again grabbed by the ankle. Nico barely had time to scream before he was dragged beneath the surface forever.

<>

Eating carpet wasn't exactly his favorite way to start the day, but Nico found himself doing it anyway as the ground rushed up to meet him. For a horrible second he thought he was going to fall back into Tartarus again, but the floor stayed firm beneath him.

He looked up, blinking confusedly at the unfamiliar fireplace a few feet away before remembering.

"Is it customary for mortals to yell and fall out of bed like so?" an amused voice asked.

Nico let himself lay back down on the carpet. "No. Just the unlucky ones."

Cupid's deep chuckle gave him the anger to get up. Nico refrained from giving the god the one-finger salute. He might be in the company of the worst beings ever to grace the universe, but he wasn't looking to go to the afterlife just yet.

"Well, I'm glad you're finding my crappy morning so chuckle-some," he muttered.

"Such a pessimist, dear child. The day's hardly begun."

Nico looked around and spotted the clock.

7:40 AM. Will would be proud. Usually it took half an hour after eleven and some coffee before his boyfriend could bribe him out of the cabin to "Join the rest of society", as the son of Apollo would always say. Nico liked to punch his arm every time he said that.

He then remembered Will was missing and swallowed.

Cupid seemed to sense his distress and beckoned for him to follow as he rose from the sofa. "Favonius brought me something early this morning. You should see it."

Cautiously, he padded after the god.

For the first time Nico actually got a good look at where he was. They were in a massive flat, like something out of a home décor magazine, with sleek furnishings and lots of big windows to let in the light. As they passed the kitchen he saw a coffee table with a picture on it.

It was of the Erotes and Psyche, all grinning like lunatics at the camera. Even Cupid had a big smile on his face and looked like he was about to take his drink and dump it over Himeros' head for the hell of it. Nico blinked in surprise at the completely casual yet bold statement of the photograph. _We are a family._

Cupid led him into a study and started messing around with papers on the desk. Nico watched him warily.

Finally the god found what he was looking for and gave a satisfied noise. "Aha. That daughter of Bellona you're friends with personally requested Favonius to deliver this to you. I believe both camps were quite spooked when you disappeared."

Nico took the note from him and read it eagerly.

 

_Nico,_

_First of all, you are one little bastard to up and disappear like that on us. Favonius told me you're okay, so at least we all know you haven't vanished like the others did. You're lucky I'm not going to come find you and drag you back by your hair._

_But unfortunately we have a major issue at hand other than the vanishings- Several supports of Octavian are taking advantage of the chaos to try and reinstate one of their own as praetor. I am doing my best to keep them at bay until I can figure out how to get them to stand down, as is Frank. He and some of my soldiers are keeping an eye on Rachel in case she gives a prophecy, but she still has yet to do so. Whatever is happening is beginning to really scare both my camp and yours, and I fear another civil war should tensions keep increasing._

_Wherever you are, I hope you're okay. If you can find help of any kind I expect you to use your resources fully._

_Be safe._

_Love,_

_Reyna_

 

He smiled at his friend's familiar signature before realizing Cupid was reading over his shoulder and jumped about a foot in the air.

The god gave him a look that clearly noted he must have been dropped on his head as a baby. "So what do you plan on doing now?"

"Uh..." It was hard to think when the god who had more or less traumatized him for life was standing _right there,_ but Nico got a sudden surge of inspiration as he remembered his dream. "I... Had a dream last night. I was underground."

"I'm enthralled."

He bit his tongue to keep from giving the god some well-deserved sass. "I was in a _cave,_ but I knew I should be walking further down where it was darker. I took some turns, and then I was in this small tunnel with a light at the end. Something important was in there, I know it."

Cupid's expression turned from mildly bored to serious. "Did it feel urgent? Like something was pulling you to it?"

Nico stared up at him. "Um... yes."

"Did it feel almost like you should be awake?"

"Ye-"

Cupid's wings spiked. "We had the exact same dream."

Without another word, he charged out of the study and thundered up the stairs like somebody lit his ass on fire.

Nico stared at where the god just was. _That just happened._

"Nico! Come here!"

He gulped and ran after Cupid.

<>

Poor Psyche looked barely awake when Nico peeked his head into the room.

She stared blearily at her husband while he ranted about his and apparently Nico's dream, standing on the bed with his wings flared out.

"Dude. Slow down," Psyche mumbled when he paused to take a breath. "Let me get this straight. Both of you had a dream you were in some weird cave."

"Yes."

"And you felt like you should be going towards some light in a tunnel."

"Yes."

"And it didn't feel like a regular dream."

"Precisely."

Psyche gave him a look, and then glanced over at Nico. "Are you sure you two didn't sneak off to go get high or something last night?"

"Noooo," Cupid groaned, scrubbing his face with his hands. "I've never even _been_ high, dear."

"Remember 1968?"

"That was _one_ time!"

Psyche snickered.

Nico kind of wanted to smack both gods upside the head. "Okay, okay, guys. Lady Psyche, I know it's weird, but Cupid and I definitely had the same dream."

The goddess finally grew serious. "If you're both sure, then this would be the first time a god and a mortal ever shared a vision. It's not even supposed to happen."

"You're kidding," Nico said weakly. Why did he have to end up dream-sharing with _Cupid,_ of all the gods?

Psyche's brown eyes glinted. "Only heroes that go on quests together end up having the same kind of dreams. I'm the goddess of the human soul, I see the dreams of humans and demigods all the time. But if _you_ two did so..."

Nico's stomach clenched.

"... Then you," she pointed to Cupid, "and you," she pointed to Nico, "share a journey in the near future."

There was dead silence.

"Psyche. My love. I am a _god!_ Gods don't go on _quests,"_ Cupid hissed, eyes glowing red. "Heroes do. It's what they're _born_ for, practically."

She didn't look impressed. "I'm just connecting the dots, dude. For whatever reason, you will have to work together to... do whatever it is the Fates want you to do, I guess."

Cupid turned to glare at Nico, who wilted with fear. This was becoming too much. He had to get out of here.

He needed to find Will.

Psyche kicked Cupid in the shins. "Quit scaring the kid, he did nothing wrong. Now go figure out what you dumbasses need to do to get on the road. And if you give him any more anxiety I'll whoop you. His _anxiety_ has anxiety, for heaven's sakes."

"Giving him anxiety," Cupid spluttered while he got shoved towards the door. Nico scrambled to get out of the god's way.

Psyche stuck her head out of the doorway. "Well don't just stand around! And quit it with the glowing eyes. You're a love god, not Satan."

 _Sure acts like it, though,_  Nico thought.

"Yes, dear," Cupid hissed, marching back down the stairs. Psyche rolled her eyes, reached out to pat Nico's shoulder, and went back to bed.

Slowly, Nico forced himself to slip downstairs and grab his backpack. He wondered what would happen if he decided to make a break for it and shadow-travel back to Camp Half-Blood. Or Camp Jupiter. Or anywhere but here, really.

He felt the god's glare burning a hole in the back of his head. If it were _anybody_ but him Nico would have probably threatened them with his sword and maybe a few skeletons, but he could barely think straight for how terrified he was around Cupid. Everything in him screamed at him to _run_ before he got flayed open for the world to see again, like what had happened in Split.

"So."

Nico flinched.

"Oh, come now. You can't keep acting like a scared mouse every time I'm around."

Something flared within Nico, something scarred and incredibly tired. "Well what am I _supposed_ to act like?"

"Preferably with a little more grit," the god said, and yep, he was definitely taunting him now. Nico's eyes pricked with heat. He wanted to rip that bastard's wings off and _shove them up his-!_

"Anyways. Come look at this."

Robotically, Nico walked into the kitchen and saw what Cupid was looking at.

In the distance, smoke billowed out of a building. At first he thought it was just an ordinary fire, but then he saw that the fire wasn't orange. It was green.

Nico raced for the door and threw it open. Then he realized the god wasn't following him.

"Well?" he prompted.

Cupid looked like he swallowed a bug. "You mean..."

"You heard the wife. You're on a _quest_ now." Nico bared his teeth at him in a grin that was devoid of any positive emotion. "And that means doing as the demigods do. Preferably with a little more grit."

Before the god could respond (or blast him into oblivion) Nico was racing for the elevator.

<>

They weren't in New York anymore, Nico knew as he shadow-traveled towards the blaze. The "Chicago's Best" sign hanging over some bar said that much. It was also really windy, blowing leaves about and bringing with it the sweet smell of autumn.

He breezed by the fireman and the police and dove through a window, spraying glass everywhere.

Inside the heat was almost unbearable. Nico squinted and tried to get a read on what was going on, and then a kid fell through the ceiling.

"What the-" Nico rushed over to the boy and knelt by him. _"Mitchell?"_

The son of Aphrodite looked like he was in serious pain. "Unfortunately."

"What are you _doing_ here?"

"I dunno, man. One minute I was in New York with Piper and Ryan, the next thing I knew I'm here fighting of a bunch of weird angry demon clouds. Then I set the place on fire."

 _"Keres,"_ Nico muttered, drawing his sword. "Mitchell, get out of here, I-"

They were both sent flying by an unseen force. The sound of hissing laughter filled the air, even louder than the roar of the fire. Nico shouted and swung at a wisp of red, absorbing it into his sword. Mitchell drew his own sword and did his best to fight, as injured as he was. The son of Hades could tell that some of the dude's ribs were busted, so he stabbed wildly at every _Keres_ he could reach, focusing on one monster at a time.

Mitchell choked as he got body-checked by another demon, face going white. Nico snarled and swung over the fallen boy, doing his best to keep them alive. The _Keres_ swirled around the flames, fighting back with everything they had.

Wait. Nico watched as they dodged around the Greek fire, trying to get to them. They didn't seem to like it.

 _Perfect._ Nico shot forward and flipped a piece of burning wood at a _Keres._

The thing _screamed_ in agony and writhed in a red and green ball of fire. Its siblings backed away from it warily, watching as it collapsed into a smoky singularity and disappeared in a puff of green smoke.

_Huh._

Before the Keres could rally for another strike a streak of white blazed into the room, fanning the fires with huge snowy wings. The _Keres_ shrieked and darted away.

Nico rolled forward and destroyed another one as it fled. Cupid swung his bow in a wide arc, dissipating the rest of them.

"There will be more soon," the god said. Nico nodded and ran over to Mitchell.

The son of Aphrodite stared at Cupid with wide eyes. "Uh, Nico?"

"Believe me, I know," he muttered, hauling the other boy to his feet. "Let's get out of here."

Cupid's eyes suddenly burned bright red. "Wait."

He crouched and leapt through the hole in the ceiling. Nico stared up after him, eyes smarting from the smoke. What the hell was that guy doing?

The god dropped back down, wings smoking slightly, and the three of them ran for the entrance. They limped down a long hallway and through a kitchen. Before they could get the door open, a massive cracking noise nearly deafened Nico. Mitchell shouted, shoving him back as the front end of the house came down.

Coughing wildly, Nico and Mitchell hobbled the other way. Cupid hovered above, wings kicking up ash and soot, which didn't help.

"Cupid! I'm-" Nico broke down coughing, almost throwing up from the smoke in his lungs. "Shadow-travel! Meet us on- _ack,_ the roof!"

The god kicked off the wall and darted off. Nico had no clue if he would actually follow through, but if the guy wanted to stick around in a burning building that was his problem.

He closed his eyes and pulled himself and Mitchell into the shadows.

The voices in the dark were even worse this time, screaming at Nico, telling him to come to them, to get away, to save them. Was that his imagination, or was something scratching at his leg again?

Nico leapt out into the day again. Mitchell coughed hard into his elbow, still holding on to him as a crutch.

Then the son of Aphrodite froze. "Hera's period panties, _what."_

Nico understood the moment he looked up.

Cupid was surrounded by hundreds, if not thousands of monsters in the sky. The son of Hades couldn't put a name to most of them if he tried, but he saw some griffins, harpies, a stray dragon or two.

"What is going _on,"_ Mitchell croaked in disbelief.

Nico just shook his head, feeling very cold despite the fire beneath them.

The god climbed higher and began to glow. The two demigods barely had time to cover their eyes before the shock wave from Cupid's true form knocked them out.

<>

He must have briefly lost consciousness, because when he woke up he was in a nearby park.

For a moment all Nico could do was just stare at the blue, blue sky. The sunlight filtered in from the tree above, making the dying leaves glow every shade of red and orange and gold. Beneath him the grass was cool and soft.

A pained grunt sounded next to him. Nico rolled over to face Mitchell, who looked like he'd been hit by a truck.

"Frickin' _Keres,"_ he croaked. Nico groaned in agreement and let his eyes slide shut again.

Something prodded his arm from his other side. Nico swatted at it.

"It lives," Cupid said dryly.

"Unfortunately."

The love god chuckled under his breath.

Mitchell coughed. "I don't know what just happened or why _Eros_ is here, but can anybody fix that?"

"Uh..." Nico began, but Cupid cut him off.

"We don't know much, but tell your fellow demigods to watch out for the Keres. And to fix your situation about that prophecy, ask about the island of Delphi. I have a theory that the problem might be stemming from there," said the love god.

"Uh, we?"

"Long story," Nico huffed. "Listen, tell the others I'm alright and that I have a plan. Don't let anybody come looking for me; something tells me I'm about to be really busy here the next couple of weeks."

"But I don't under-"

Cupid reached out and teleported Mitchell away.

Nico side-eyed the god. "You _did_ send him back to Camp Half-Blood, right?"

"Probably."

_"Cupid."_

"Yes, I sent him back to Camp Half-Blood. Picky picky."

"... I absolutely cannot _stand_ you."


	4. Animal Planet, Ravioli, and Anxiety Attacks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How am I getting out one or two chapters every day while I still have so much other shit to do? Because that's who I am as a person, that's why.

When they got back the Erotes were all huddled together in the living room, talking in low tones.

Psyche saw them first and burst out laughing. "You two look like dog shit!"

"Love you too, dearest," Cupid grumbled as he marched into the kitchen.

Nico was suddenly aware he had the full attention of the seven other gods.

The big dude with who had said Nico was the size of his leg earlier grinning and waved him over. "Come, sit with us! You must be tired."

The gods seemed to have all agreed on avoiding the couch and instead sat in a circle on the carpet, which was fine by Nico. He'd rather get the carpet dirty than the nice white sofa.

"Alright, so I'll introduce myself," the big dude said. "I'm Anteros-"

"Anteros the Asscrack," Himeros snickered.

"Shut up."

"I'm Pothos," another guy said quietly. He was much smaller than his golden-winged brother and had a shock of red hair and dark green eyes.

"Pothos the Pussy."

"Shut _up,_ Himeros."

"I'm Hedylogos, and you can ignore my brother. He has a big mouth." He kicked Himeros in the side when he opened his mouth, making the other god grunt and swat at the offending appendage.

"Hymen. You have ash on your face."

"The name's Hermaphrodite. And Cupid, you can't wash your hands forever!"

"Watch me!"

Hermaphrodite rolled his- _their?_ eyes. Nico could not tell for the life of him tell if the god was male or female. They were insanely pretty and petite, with white wings that looked like Cupid's but much smaller. Light flecks of silver dotted the primaries like water droplets.

"And you met me earlier!" Himeros reached over and ruffled Nico's hair. "I healed his eyeballs, guys. I can be nice."

"Oh yeah... Thanks for that. I don't think I really talked last night, so sorry."

"Nah, you're good, kid. Psyche told us all about how you and Cupid had the same dream," he said, looking eager. The other gods' interests seemed to be perked as well. Pothos gave Nico the thumbs-up.

"Uh... I was just in a cave, and it felt so real I felt like I should be awake even though I was dreaming? And then I went down this tunnel, and there was this bright light coming from the end, and somehow I knew I had to get over there."

"That's where it ended for me," Cupid said as he sat down next to Psyche. Nico jumped. He didn't even hear the god coming.

"Uh, yeah. Me too." Nico broke off to cough into his elbow.

"A god and a hero on a quest together. I've gotta say, that's one for the books," Himeros said thoughtfully. "Zephyrus swung by earlier, he says hi. Also the demigods are organizing a little field trip to Delphi to see what they can do for that Oracle girl."

"Good," Nico murmured.

Nobody spoke for a little bit. Anteros messed around with one enormous wing and yanked out a bent covert feather.

"So, Nico. What are your plans?" Psyche asked.

All eyes were on him again.

"Uh..." Nico's mind raced. He and Winged Wonder #1 were apparently destined to figure out what was going on with the _Keres_ and the monsters and maybe even Delphi. And he had pretty much implied earlier when he was talking to Mitchell earlier that he would be staying in Chicago.

 _"His_ plans?" Cupid scoffed. "I'm in this quest too!"

"Ooh, so now you're into it? I'm so proud of you!" Psyche cooed.

 _"Uugggghhhhhhh,"_ Cupid groaned and flopped back, letting his wings spread out everywhere. Anteros' booming laughter vibrated in Nico's chest.

"So... What do you have in mind, Cupid?" Nico asked, riding on Psyche's playful nagging.

He propped himself up on his elbows. "You're staying with us, obviously. This can be home base. Until we have a solid plan on where to go and how to get there, we figure out everything we can on the Keres. I'll get intel from the other gods. You keep in touch with that Roman praetor."

As much as Nico hated him, he did have a pretty solid plan. "It's a deal."

Keeping his eyes locked with Cupid's, he extended a hand. Cupid hesitated, eyes narrowed to amber slits, and then grabbed the boy's hand and shook it.

 _Dear gods, he has a grip!_ Nico tried not to wince when they let go.

He heard Hermaphrodite mutter to one of their brothers. "They are either going to be the most kickass team of all time or they're both gonna end up dead."

<>

_Dear Reyna,_

_I'm okay, I promise. I can't tell you where I am for now, but I'm safe and working on a plan to find everyone and defeat the Keres. I'm not alone, either. As for how this all is going to work out, I have no idea, but I'll promise you this: I'll do whatever it takes to save our camps. Give those old supporters of Octavian hell for me until I get back. And make sure you tell Frank he can give them the crackdown, too._

_Tell Hazel I said hi._

_Love,_

_Nico di Angelo_

 

Once he had finished his letter he approached Psyche.

"Um, Lady Psyche? Where do I mail this from?" he asked quietly.

"Just leave it by an open window, Zephyrus will take care of it. And please, call me Psyche. I'm a people god!"

He wasn't sure what a "People God" was, but he didn't question it. "Okay, thanks."

The kitchen window above the sink was cracked, so he slid the letter on to the windowsill. As soon as he took his hand off it a burst of wind sucked it out and away.

Psyche patted his shoulder. "I know this is all a lot, bub, but don't let my husband scare you. He acts like a real moron sometimes but I promise you underneath he's the nicest person you'll ever meet."

Nico would believe that when Zeus started wearing tutus, but he smiled the best he could and nodded.

Psyche beamed. "Awesome sauce. Go ahead and pick a room upstairs, I don't let any guest of mine sleep on the couch for more than one night if I can help it. And take a shower!"

The upstairs wasn't really separate from the rest of the place, as it was more or less one big room sans the bathrooms and bedrooms, but there was a nice sense of privacy as Nico ducked into the room farthest away from the source of music and laughter on the other side of the hall.

He dropped his backpack by the small desk and locked the door. Grabbing some clean clothes, he locked himself in the bathroom and turned the shower on.

The warm water was amazing, but unfortunately the only company Nico had was his own thoughts.

Psyche and Himeros both seemed to like him. Anteros was also really nice. Hermaphrodite seemed more curious than anything, as with Pothos and Hydelogos. Hymen didn't seem to care much as long as Nico didn't act up, which was fine by him.

Cupid, on the other hand, seemed like he had wanted to punt Nico out a window from the very second he learned he was part of a quest. Not that Nico could really blame him- quests were the biggest pain in the butt since the beginning of creation, but that didn't stop him from almost fainting from terror whenever the god so much as glared at him.

Would he ever get over what he had done to him in Croatia? Probably not. Tartarus was one thing- it was a test of strength, of patience, of how to hold yourself together even on the brink of death. Cupid's trials were a test of how long you could keep something to yourself before he beat it out of you and kicked you while you were down.

He sat down on the shower floor and cried silently, letting his fear loose. Then he remembered how much he missed Will and cried harder.

Gods, he'd do _anything_ to have Will with him again. He'd know exactly what to do; he'd comfort Nico and kiss his hair and tell him he was safe and loved.

 _It's okay to be afraid, Death Boy,_ he'd murmur.

Yes, it was okay to be afraid. Nico knew that now. Being afraid was how people kept themselves in check. Even if it was an irrational fear from a traumatic event that had long since passed, it was _okay to be afraid_ and nobody could tell Nico otherwise. If anybody gave him crap for being scared of a love god he'd take one of Cupid's arrows and stab them with it.

And he had to believe that Will was okay.

Dark eyes fixed on the opposite wall, narrowing in determination.

He'd promised Reyna he'd do anything to save their camps. He fully intended to keep that promise, even if that meant working with the guy who'd beaten and outed him. Nothing got the best of Nico di Angelo, and by all the gods he was going to keep it that way.

He turned the water off and got dressed.

For awhile he just sat on the bed, staring out the window. He had a view of the park he had been in earlier, as well as a few busy streets and a whole lot of buildings. Out on the horizon, storm clouds gathered like dark spirits of the sky. Vibrations from loud music buzzed in Nico's chest.

He wasn't much of a big city guy, but he could kind of understand why the Erotes liked it so much. There was a kind of intense energy that lingered everywhere, in the stores where people shopped and talked, out on the sidewalks where kids walked home from school. It was in the too-loud radio music and in the police sirens in the distance.

There was a sharp knocking at the door. "Yo, Nico! Come get some food."

He wasn't really hungry, but he wasn't about to say no to Psyche, so he got up and opened the door.

The goddess gave him finger guns. "You didn't drown in the shower. Nice job."

"Do I get a medal?" he asked wryly.

"Sadly, no. But you can get some ravioli."

He followed her down to the kitchen, where Himeros, Hedylogos, and Pothos were having a game of Cards Against Humanity.

"Okay, I got, 'In a world full of evil and bigotry, the only thing that can save us is..." Himeros picked up another card. "Daniel Radcliffe's delicious asshole."

Not for the first time, Nico wondered if these guys were really gods, especially when Psyche cracked up and accidentally spit out some of her apple juice.

"Incredible. How about 'In a world full of evil and bigotry, the only thing that can save us is mass murder?" Pothos suggested.

"Or... a cactus dildo," Hedylogos piped up.

"Alright boys, let's not traumatize our guest any more for the evening. Y'all want lasagna?" Psyche waved her spatula at them.

"Nah. Still don't get how you can eat human food," Himeros said, glancing warily at the goddess's ravioli.

"Dude, it's lit." Psyche stuck her tongue out at Himeros and dumped some on to her plate. "Come on, Nico, let's leave these losers alone."

Nico grinned when Pothos showed her his middle finger.

They sat on the carpet, and Psyche turned on the TV. It was already on Animal Planet, which Nico liked.

Then something occurred to him, and he looked over at the goddess. "So why _do_ you eat human food?"

Psyche's gaze grew distant. "Well... I _was_ human, many thousands of years ago. Whenever I eat human food, or watch TV, or walk places instead of just flying there or teleporting, it feels... grounding. Yeah, that's a good word. I don't want to end up like some of the other gods, you know? I still want to be _me._ I don't want to forget what it's like to be human."

Nico stared at her in amazement. "You don't?"

"Yeah. And how am I supposed to be the guardian of human souls if I don't understand people?"

"... Huh."

Never before had he met a god that held the belief of sticking so close to their humanity. It was the complete opposite of most of what the other gods and goddesses he had met over the years. Most of them seemed to do their absolute best to hold themselves above mortals as high as they could, even if it ended up backfiring on them instead of demigods or regular humans.

He was liking this woman more and more.

"Psyche, you know there's a couch for a reason." Cupid said as he flopped down on said furniture.

"Ssh, we're watching Animal Planet."

"Abandoned by my own wife. I can already feel myself fading."

"You're such a baby."

Nico snorted into his ravioli.

He was able to keep calm and not have yet another freak-out by concentrating on how cool Arctic Wolves were. Oh look, wolf puppies. Those are cute.

"They eat the vomit of their parents?" Cupid asked in disbelief.

"The parents swallow meat and let it digest a little before regurgitating it up for their babies," Psyche corrected.

"... Kind of looks like your human food."

"Kind of looks like your face."

Nico couldn't help it. He pitched forward a little, laughing so hard he almost dropped his plate. But really, he was sleep deprived and still kind of in shock. It wasn't his fault the two gods bickered like freaking  _preteens._

"Honey, I think you broke him," Psyche said when he was done.

"No, no, I'm okay!" Nico snorted. He wiped his eyes with his sleeve.

"We got him to laugh. Himeros! You owe me!" Cupid yelled.

"What do I owe you?" the other god called back from the kitchen.

"I don't know, I'll think about it!"

"Okay. Oh hey, Nico, you got another letter!"

The son of Hades almost fell over himself scrambling to his feet. He ran to the kitchen, set his plate in the sink and grabbed the new envelope off the windowsill.

It was from Hazel this time. He tore it open and unfolded the paper.

 

_Dear Nico,_

_Reyna already told me she chewed you out for ditching us like you did, so I'll just get straight to the point: Keres have been trying to attack Camp Half-Blood since this morning, and according to reports more are beginning to head west to Camp Jupiter. So far they haven't been able to get past the barriers or kill anybody, but it's only a matter of time before we have to fight. Please watch out for yourself!_

_I know you can do this... Whatever it is you're doing. Reyna says you're going undercover on this quest, so all I can do at the moment is offer my support. Cecil, Lou Ellen, and Sherman took it upon themselves to go to Delphi to see what's going on with Rachel. Lou Ellen might try and Iris-message you and yell at you later, just a heads up!_

_Some good news- WE FOUND JASON!!! HE'S OKAY!!!_

Nico whooped in delight.

_He's a little shaken up and he doesn't remember anything right now, but he'll be fine. We were all eating dinner and then he just appeared out of thin air and landed on Frank's corndog. I'm gonna have to explain to him that you ditched us, so when you get back you're taking us out for ice cream._

_Stay safe! Love you!_

_Sincerely,_

_Hazel L._

 

Nico groaned with relief and let his head fall back. If one of the missing heroes could be found, then they all could. They would just have to take it day by day, like any experienced demigod did.

"What's up?" Suddenly eight Erotes were trying to read the letter. Nico squawked in alarm.

"Oh cool, that Jason kid is alive," Pothos reported, adjusting his glasses.

"Ew, _Keres,"_ Hermaphrodite complained. Hymen nodded in agreement.

"Move your asses! I can't see!" Hedylogos hissed.

"Still no prophecy?" Exasperation radiated off of Cupid in thick waves.

"The demigods are still figuring out what's blocking their Oracle from the powers of Sight," Psyche reminded him.

Cupid huffed.

Nico carefully detached himself from the circle of godliness. "Alright. Well, I'll go... write Hazel back. And Iris-message Lou Ellen to tell her to not yell at me."

He jabbed a thumb behind him and fled up the stairs.


	5. Super Smash Bros., Underworld Style

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit guys, I'm so sorry for the wait. I lost this chapter because I'm a moron and didn't back it up, and then it happened AGAIN so I rewrote it yet again. Updates should be much closer together from now on. 
> 
> Enjoy my garbage.

That night Nico dreamed of Eos.

He was in a palace, standing on a plush velvet carpet that led down a long hallway to a pair of cedar wood doors. They were engraved with a beautiful scene of a rising sun over an Ancient Greek city. The detail was so good he could even see the hairs on the peoples' heads that made their way up and down marketplaces and houses. Another work of art decorated the nearest wall- a massive tapestry of the night sky, with constellations drawn out like connect-the-dots. On each side of the carpet were silver marble pillars that caught the light and spun it everywhere like moonbeams. Crystal wind-chimes hung from the ceiling and reflected little rainbows everywhere, causing Nico to blink as the sharp light got in his eyes. Massive windows granted him a view of a mountain range, each peak covered in snow. It was breathtaking.

Voices startled him out of his thoughts, and he barely had time to duck behind a pillar before two goddesses came storming through the cedar doors.

Well, a goddess and a ghost.

“For the last time, sister, this plan won’t fail! Not if the demigods succeed. And I have no doubt Nico will catch on quickly to the disappearances. All will be well.” Eos, the dawn goddess, crossed her arms with an air of satisfaction.

The ghost pointed an accusing finger at her sister.

“Selfish? Selene, how many times do I have to tell you? I’m doing this for you! Because you’re my family, and families look out for each other. Honestly, being faded for so long has messed with your senses. Any other dead god would be leaping at the chance to get to return to the living world!”

Selene. The ghost was Selene, the former goddess of the moon. And Eos was trying to bring her back?

The old moon god crossed her arms like Eos had done. Her mouth moved, but Nico couldn’t hear any sound coming out.

Her sister did, apparently. “This will all be fine. I’ll take care of it, I promise.” Selene stomped her foot. The dawn goddess’ face contorted in rage. “Oh, I’m a fool? It wasn’t my fault! If Aphrodite loved that war god so much she would have kept a better eye on him instead of running around willy-nilly on Earth getting knocked up by every human man and his uncle! I can’t control it!”

Selene’s mouth moved again.

Eos clenched her fists. “That won’t happen. Aphrodite’s too proud. But if it makes you want to come back more I’ll try. Once-“ the goddess suddenly bent double, gasping. “Excuse me, sister. I have business to attend to.”

Selene’s eyes narrowed, but Eos paid no attention as she waved her hand through the apparition. She stood there for a long moment, staring blankly out the window. Nico wondered if he should announce his presence, maybe offer to help her, but before he could do anything she wrapped her arms around herself and fled.

<>

For a few milliseconds Nico didn’t remember where he was or why so many people were yelling downstairs.

He was reminded by a sharp knocking at the door. “Child! For heaven’s sake, do all humans lie in a coma for as amazingly long as you do?”

Nico hissed at the door and fumbled around for his sword. Cupid chuckled behind the door before his footsteps were heard going down the stairs.

He got dressed as quick as he could before joining the Erotes.

The source of the yelling seemed to be coming from Himeros and Hymen, who were arguing over whether DC or Marvel was better.

Well, at least some of the yelling.

“Somewhere over the raiiiinnnbooowwww!” Hedylogos shrieked from the top of the fridge, strumming frantically on his ukulele.

Hermaphrodite threw grapes at him from the counter’s edge. “Hedy, you dickass, get down from there.”

A raspberry was heard in response.

“I’m not saying Batman’s a bad character, I’m just saying the concept of a vigilante/superhero like him is a whole lot better than his actual personality-!”

“NANANANANANANANANANA _BAAATTTTMAAAANNN!”_

“Guys, watch this!” Psyche took a flying leap off the banister and landed on the sofa. “Tadaaaa!”

“Don’t die.”

Pothos threw a pillow at Himeros and nailed him in the head.

“What is your power level?! _What is your power level.”_

“I’m gonna eat a whole ass table for breakfast.”

“A whole ass on a table? _Nice.”_

“Nooo!”

“Say Batman is better than Captain America _one more time-!”_

Cupid swept into the room like a king into his court and made a beeline for the coffee machine. The other Erotes in close proximity started a game of “Who Can Hit Psyche With Spitballs And Not Get Caught” before said goddess’ husband caught them red-handed and started bitching them out.

Nico was both entertained and overwhelmed by the chaos. On one hand, that coffee smelled amazing and would probably make his morning a whole lot more bearable. On the other, there was a bunch of squabbling gods between him and the desired beverage. He decided that Psyche would probably have his back if he was accidentally (or on purpose) mauled and went for it. Carefully, he squeezed behind Anteros’ huge golden wings, darted between Cupid and Hedylogos, and managed to get out of Psyche’s way before she started hitting the latter with a spatula. He grabbed a clean mug from the counter and filled it before escaping to the relative safety of the living room.

Nailed it.

“Yeah, Superman’s iconic, but Spiderman? A real hero. Nico, dude, Marvel or DC?” Himeros asked him when he sat down on the sofa.

“Uh… Haven’t really decided yet,” Nico said.

“Fair enough.”

Hymen winked at him and mouthed _DC._

The sound of somebody banging two metal pots together sounded from the kitchen. Wincing, Nico looked up to see Cupid standing on the table holding said pots. “Alright, everyone, listen up. I spoke with Zeus last night and the rumors are true- Hades has closed the Underworld. The Oracle has still not yet given a prophecy. That is all.”

Nico stared in disbelief. “He did what? Why?”

“He has reason to suspect the _Keres_ have been hiding out in the Underworld. Until they show themselves and surrender nobody is allowed in or out,” the god explained.

The son of Hades slumped back on the sofa.

This was getting weirder and weirder by the day. Why hadn’t his father just called him down to take care of it? He had done everything from chasing harpies out of Persephone’s garden to taking down a titan with the River Lethe. Sure, the _Keres_ were dangerous, but if he played his cards right…

“Uh oh. That’s the demigod ‘I’m About to Do Something Stupid’ look,” Himeros pointed out. “We have a Mom Friend and we’re not afraid to use her.”

“Psyche can’t be the Mom Friend, dude, she likes to jump off the stairs.”

“Shut up, Pothos. I am so the Mom Friend.”

Nico tapped his knees. “We’re going to the Underworld.”

Cupid gave him a concerned look. “Did you miss the part where I said nobody goes in or out? Are your ears functional?”

He glared at the god. “My ears are great, thanks. And because the Golden Rule of being a demigod is to do the exact opposite of what you’re told, we’re going to the Underworld. We’ll take the entrance in Central Park in New York; it’s closest.”

“A sound plan, child, but alas, gods are forbidden from entering each other’s territory without permission.”

“See, I’ve been thinking about that. I have a loophole figured out,” Nico began. “A hero can challenge a god, but not vice versa. And once the hero attacks, the god is free to fight back.”

“And?”

“And then because they’re fighting they can go pretty much anywhere. They just have to keep fighting and they’ll won’t break any rules.”

Cupid raised a brow. “I highly doubt that’s how it works.”

“Dude. Work with me here.”

“What does a god and a hero fighting have to do with our current situa- Ah. I see. You plan on challenging me once we… go downstairs,” the god realized.

“Exactly.”

“Please don’t kill him, dear,”

Psyche told her husband. He gave her a look like, _Do I have to?_

The two proceeded to have the famous nonverbal conversation all married people seemed to have at one point or the other. Luckily, Psyche came out the victor.

Cupid turned back to Nico. “Very well. Come on, we’re going to the roof.”

“Why are we going to the roof?”

“We’re flying.”

Nico trailed after him, casting the other Erotes a pained glance. Anteros waved cheerfully. Himeros did the Hunger Games three-finger salute and the whistle. Pothos muttered something about breaking the rules before Hermaphrodite shushed him.

Two pairs of footsteps raced up the stairs, Nico in the lead. Once they got to the top floor he yanked the roof door open and headed outside. It was still so early that the horizon was tinted orange. Cold air whipped around Nico like angry spirits, pricking his skin like icy nails. He shivered.

Then he realized that for Cupid to fly them to New York he would have to carry him.

“Uh,” Nico started, staring uneasily at the god. “I can just summon Jules-Albert to drive us there, you know.” “Who?” “My zombie chauffeur. He was a gift from my dad.”

Cupid blinked. “… Well, never let it be said that Hades is lacking in the parenting department. But I get carsick, so no.”

“But you’re a god?”

“I get carsick, child.” His tone of voice left no room for debate as he held out his hand.

Nico swallowed, but he reached out and took it, unwilling to give in to fear. Cupid’s wings snapped open, twenty feet from tip to tip. For a second Nico stared at the massive flight feathers, which were as long as he was, a little awed.

He regretted that after Cupid jumped off the roof with him.

Nico gasped as they plummeted, preparing himself to hit the concrete below and die painfully, but he then experienced the unwelcome effect of gravity as he was yanked upwards.

If it had been chilly on the roof of the apartment complex, it was miserable up in the sky. Wind scraped across his face like thousands of little needles and he was forced to bury his head against Cupid’s collarbone, gritting his teeth. His fingers and toes quickly lost feeling. When he dared to look the ground was so far below them he couldn’t even see cars. Clouds whipped by like snowballs thrown in a winter scuffle. Cupid dodged around massive thunderheads so fast Nico got whiplash, but there was hardly enough air for him to breath as it was, so he just clung to the god and prayed Zeus would strike them both down.

Sadly, that did not happen.

Nico definitely didn’t shriek when Cupid pulled his wings against his body and dropped like a brick. He did, however, have to resist the urge to punch him in the jaw when he felt the god chuckle. Glancing down, he saw the familiar New York City skyline rise in the distance.

Cupid angled his wings and flew down in a long, sweeping arc. He came in for a landing in an oak grove in Central Park, startling some pigeons and a squirrel. It was a weekday, so there weren’t any mortals around, which Nico appreciated. The Mist might work wonders, but he still didn’t want anyone seeing him with Cupid. Some things just couldn’t be explained to people.

“So, demigod, where is this entrance you spoke of?” said winged prick asked.

Nico squirmed as he was set down, only to almost fall on his rear when his legs failed him. Cupid’s quiet laughter made him wish he could stab something, preferably the god himself. “It’s in some boulders right over there somewhere. Follow me.”

Nico stomped over a bridge and along the riverside. It was a lovely day, with the smell of leaves and autumn filling his nose and soothing his windburnt cheeks.

“Was it really necessary to fly like a popped balloon on steroids?” Nico snapped as he came to a stop in front of a pile of boulders. “I mean, I almost broke my neck from whiplash.”

“Apologies. I keep forgetting humans are made like toothpicks. Believe it or not, that’s how I normally fly.”

“Who taught you? A bottle rocket?” he grumbled.

“Bottle rockets had not been invented yet when I was born,” Cupid explained patiently.

“Probably for the best,” Nico muttered under his breath, and then louder, he said “Okay, so in order for this entrance to open there needs to be music.”

“Oh, lovely. I’ve never been serenaded before.”

Nico crossed his arms. “Nuh-uh. I can’t sing.”

“I wish Psyche was here, she is incredible with a kazoo… Wait. I can’t sing either, but I can do this.” He summoned his bow and plucked the “Imperial March” from Star Wars on its string.

The boulders shivered, sounding almost agitated before they gave in and rolled aside. The familiar dark tunnel yawned into blackness. For some reason the shadows of the Underworld didn’t seem so welcoming anymore.

Cupid’s amber eyes glinted. “In all my five thousand years I have never even gotten close to the Underworld.”

“Well, say goodbye to the sun. No natural light exists down there.”

The god didn’t hesitate to follow the son of Hades down the stone steps, but Nico didn’t miss the way he glanced behind him with worry as the boulders slid shut again. Using the wall to keep his bearings, Nico marched down the stairs to the Underworld. He knew the journey took a little under an hour, even if it seemed like it took days.

Surprisingly, he felt Cupid’s unease pick up as time went on. He was a creature of the open sky, Nico knew, but he didn’t think a god as powerful as he was would be so… uncomfortable below the surface. A good part of Nico relished in the god’s dislike of the Underworld.

_See what it’s like to be completely out of your element for once, you flying heap of wombat shit._

Cupid made it another five minutes before he gave in. “Child, how long is this accursed walk? Is the Underworld really that far under the surface?”

He decided to have a little bit of fun. “Nobody really knows. Time doesn’t work like it does on the surface.” That wasn’t a complete lie. He had gotten yelled at several times by his friends for disappearing for weeks at a time even if it had only been a day or so in his father’s kingdom. However, the tunnels leading down to the realm seemed to operate on Eastern Standard time like the rest of the east coast- or at least the one in New York did.

“You’re saying we could be down here for a very long time?”

“Cupid, relax. Just keep moving.”

“This is absolutely ridiculous. I am a _god._ I should not have to be here on some… some _quest_ like a mortal! Whoever is responsible for this load of nonsense will soon face the business end of my arrows, I can promise you that. Never should an immortal have to face something as trivial as _this!”_

Nico swallowed. He was trapped in a tunnel with an angry love god. Maybe messing around with him hadn’t been such a good idea after all.

“Um… protecting the world isn’t… trivial?” Nico protested weakly.

“Gods oversee the world, child, both living and dead. We are not supposed to influence how it changes and develops. We guide demigods and humans, yes, come to them in times of need, but this is wrong. I should _not_ be here.”

“Well, maybe it’s time for that to change,” Nico said without thinking.

He heard Cupid’s footsteps stop momentarily before picking back up again. “That’s preposterous. Why would-“ A tiny light in the distance made them both halt. Then Nico almost fell as Cupid barreled past him, heading for the end of the tunnel.

“Wait! Cupid!” Nico raced after the god, swearing in Italian.

Thankfully he had stopped before the passageway opened up to the rest of the Underworld, otherwise he would have broken one of the sacred laws of the gods. Cupid stared out at the vast dark plains, Hades’ palace in the distance, the Fields of Punishment ringing with the cries of the souls of the eternally damned. The Furies were specks on the horizon, hopefully entertained by the gruesome scene. Above, massive stalactites stabbed out of the darkness, barely visible against the massive top of the cavern.

“Welcome to my father’s kingdom,” Nico offered.

Cupid’s eyes glowed dimly in the shadows. “Thanks. I hate it.”

He almost snorted. “You’ll get used to it. See the walls of Erebus in the distance? We’ll have to get over those. Going through Cerberus isn’t an option; everybody will know we’re here. From there we can look for anything that could lead us to some Keres.”

“That’s hardly a plan.”

Nico bit back a scathing remark. “Well, welcome to the wonderful experience that is questing. Now square up.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“We’re fighting now, remember?”

The god’s amber eyes adopted a shadowy light Nico disliked immensely.

“Ah, yes. Well, my dear teammate, I promise I won’t completely wipe the cavern floor with your corpse.”

“You can try,” Nico growled, and took off running.

Barely a second later he heard the familiar whoosh of enormous wings. He swiped at the noise but hit nothing.

Oh, perfect. The bastard was invisible now.

All his senses were going into overdrive as he tried to get a clue as to where the god was. Staying on course for the walls of Erebus, Nico zig-zagged across the dark field.

One moment he was sprinting across a low rise, keeping close to the massive boulders littering the area, and the next he was on his behind with a splitting pain in his skull.

“Son of Hades! Surely there is more fight in you than that!”

Nico winced and forced himself to his feet. He had to do this. Every step he took brought him closer to Will, and no god, monster, or human would stand in his way. When he heard the almost silent rush of air over wings he swung again. A rush of triumph raced through him when several white feathers spiraled down from above.

Wait. How had Jason landed a good hit when they had fought Cupid in Croatia? He had been focusing on something.

Dodging around a boulder, he made for the wall again.

Behind him, he glimpsed a ripple of air coming towards him at an incredible speed, and when it was almost on top of him he tuck-and-rolled to the side. Unfortunately, he still got clipped upside the head, but it was better than the full force of the hit. If any monster was watching them, he hoped they were entertained, because he sure wasn’t. He got checked sideways and landed on stomach with a pained grunt. Fear rose in his stomach as his mind replayed the last time he had faced the god of love like this. The memories were the scent of blood and the taste of tears.

He was halfway to the wall. He could do this. Will and the others depended on him succeeding in this quest, wherever it took him. Will.

Realization hit Nico. Jason had been thinking about _Piper_ when he fought the god of love. He had been focusing on the girl dearest to his heart and how much she meant to him. Owning up to your feelings was how you defeated Cupid.

What did Nico love about Will? _Everything,_ of course, but what had made him fall for the son of Apollo? It had been his selflessness, his undying desire to heal any lost soul that made their way into his infirmary. For Will Solace, there was no such thing as a lost cause. There were only people. And Will loved people more than anything. He loved _Nico._

The son of Hades brought his blade down hard as he felt feathers brush by his sleeve. This time, golden blood sprayed across the rocks. Stygian iron shone wetly in the dim light as Nico slashed again, this time taking off a good chunk of feathers. The shadow of the wall cast him into darkness as he backed up into it, and Nico reveled in the shade.

A loud screech made him look up. Keres stalked along the top of the wall. Their forms flickered from humanoid to shapeless cloud to some kind of nightmarish being Nico had no name for. He swallowed and pressed himself as close to the base of the wall as he could, right up against a boulder the size of a minivan. They hadn’t spotted him yet, but if they had the same kind of demigod-smelling abilities regular monsters had it wouldn’t be long before they found him.

“Cupid!” he hissed, looking around for the god.

“Mph.”

Nico’s eyes widened as the guy suddenly appeared next to him, partially from shock, but also from noticing the massive gash in his left wing.

“… Sorry?” Nico croaked.

Cupid didn’t seem too bothered, even as the gash slowly closed, leaving behind feathers that were stained and broken. “Normally I would have killed you on the spot, but I sensed you were thinking about your Will Solace. Like I once told you, the only way to defeat me is to face your feelings, to let go of anything holding you back from the one you love. You’ve mastered that, I see.”

The boy’s cheeks flamed. “I-I, ah,”

Cupid seemed to find his embarrassment hilarious, which infuriated Nico to no end, but then the _Keres_ screeched again. One dropped down in front of their hiding spot and made a motion like it was looking around. It called for its sisters.

The near-silent creak of a bowstring made Nico look up, and he flinched when he saw a glowing arrowhead aimed at the demon. Cupid took aim and fired, vaporizing the _Ker_ on the spot. The arrow fizzled in the bedrock and disappeared.

“They’ll know something’s wrong,” Nico hissed.

“From what I’ve seen _Keres_ aren’t especially intelligent. We’re fine.”

But even the god didn’t seem so sure. Nico gripped his sword as the demons’ angry shrieks rose in volume. They landed right where their sister had met its fate, whirling around the scorch mark left by the arrow.

He readied himself to charge, lest they be attacked first, but then they were saved by a trio of winged bat ladies.

The Furies tore into the demons with whips and claws, showing no mercy. The _Keres_ fought back eagerly, overpowering one Fury and destroying her by tearing her head off. The two remaining demons squawked in outrage and bowled over a single _Ker._ It struggled, screaming bloody murder, but the sound was cut short by the end of a barbed whip. Three Keres jumped on one of the Furies’ back and tore into her. Nico’s eyes blew wide as her stomach fell out of her body, followed by a ribcage and what must have been her small intestine. Black liquid of some sort spurted everywhere in violent bursts. The rest of her flopped into the rocks and melted into dust.

The last Fury standing looked on with horror before taking off as fast as her wings would take her. He felt the urge to cheer her on, but before the she made it as far as the River Styx four streaks of red tore through her, sending chunks of flesh and torn wings everywhere. Echoing hisses rattled around the area like victory cries.

Out of the corner of his eyes, Nico saw Cupid’s face lose color. "Run.”

Nico didn’t have to be told twice.

They darted out of their hiding spot. Cupid grabbed Nico and took off like a shot, making the demigod’s head spin from the blood rushing to his feet. The god flipped over the wall, using a hand for leverage, with Nico’s arms wrapped around his neck. They plummeted so quickly towards the ground Nico was sure he was going to break his legs, but at the last second Cupid’s wings shot open. The god landed quietly in some brush and set Nico down.

“Look, a path’s been burned into the ground.” Cupid pointed to the singed grass that led deeper into Hades’ kingdom. Nico took off, eager to get as far away from the Keres as he could. He heard Cupid leap into the air and fly low, barely above the tall grasses. They followed the trail for what must have been a quarter of an hour, keeping as hidden as they could before Nico almost fell into a hole.

“Whoa!” He skidded to a stop and peered over the edge.

It was about fifteen feet across, maybe a little more. The grass kept it well hidden up until one was almost in it, which made Nico suspicious.

Cupid landed next to him. “I do believe we’ve found their den.”

“Fantastic,” Nico muttered. “Gods first.”

“I’m charmed.” Cupid dropped into the hole, disappearing from view almost instantly.

For a few minutes, Nico heard nothing. “Cupid?” he whispered. “Psst! Featherbutt!”

No response.

Grumbling, Nico risked a quick shadow-travel to the nearest piece of solid ground.

And almost had a heart attack.

Cupid was hanging from a stalactite, eyes wide, over a black pit that seemed to lead into outer space itself. His wings were ensnared by a pair of Keres, who forced him to keep them folded tight against his back. Chained to the nearby wall above the pit was Lacy, Piper’s sister and missing camper. The evil radiating from the blackness was so strong Nico felt his knees buckle. He grabbed on to a rocky column for support.

Shaking so badly he was shocked the _Keres_ didn’t hear his teeth chattering in his head, he stared down into the entrance to Tartarus, wondering why everything and everybody in the universe hated him.


	6. Nico di Angelo Cannot Catch A Break

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico and Cupid save Lacy, bad memories are brought up, and Nico makes a choice.

Nico remembered the exact second he had jumped down into Tartarus. 

That had been one of the many dark moments of his life. He couldn't remember anything other than the sensation of gravity taking over as he stepped forward, the sensation of something incredibly ancient and evil wrapping him up in shadows to crush the life out of him. He couldn't remember if he cared whether he lived or died. There was no emotion he could recall feeling, no goal in mind other than to try and close the Doors of Death. Sometimes he wondered if the _decision_ to go to Tartarus had officially marked his downward spiral into depression, not the actual journey through the hellish world. Granted, he had no clue what he had been signing up for, but still. 

What pulled him out of the flashback wasn't the _Keres,_ thankfully, but Lacy's wide blue eyes locking with his. Her face was grimy, blonde hair tangled and knotted with blood. One eye was bruised. Somehow she had been gagged. Despite all that, she glared Nico down, silently ordering him to focus. 

He surged forward and flung his sword at Cupid's wings.

The _Keres_ screeched in protest as they were pulled into the cursed blade. Cupid kicked off the stalactite and looped back up to Lacy, slashing at her bonds with his bow. He caught her and dove down to Nico.

"Get Lacy out."

"Nico, what-" Lacy broke down coughing, but her older brother shifted her around so he was cradling her and made for the entrance.

"Child, where are you going?" Cupid called after Nico as he raced farther into the tunnel.

"There might be more!"

"You're no match for them."

"Just get Lacy out of the Underworld! I'll catch up!"

He heard Lacy's protests fade as he sprinted away. Being a child of Hades, he knew his way around caves like they were his second home (for a good couple years of his life they were) and wasn't afraid of getting lost. The _Keres,_ however, were also good in caves. He barely made it a minute before he was tackled out of a side tunnel a house cat would have trouble fitting through. 

Nico let himself be knocked over before dissipating the demon. Another two came barreling out, which he dodged easily. Just as he readied his sword to end them a bright pain raced up his side and back. Instantly, his whole body seemed to burn like a forest fire. 

Dots exploded in his line of vision, and he gave a feeble cry as he practically felt the strength bleed out of him. He swung wildly and managed to hold them off while he backed into the shadow of a stalagmite. The _Keres_ seemed to be catching on to the fact his sword was made of Stygian iron.

One got brave. It feinted to the right and dodged under the blade, hissing like a gas chamber being activated. It would have taken Nico's leg off if he hadn't let himself fall back, and it snarled in frustration when the son of Hades expertly guarded his bleeding ribs. Nico tried his best to hide the fact he was about to pass out.

_Come on, come on-!_

Staggering, he managed to aim for the stalagmite before he fell.

<> 

Nico awoke briefly to a girl yelling his name, and then a pair of strong arms catching him. He lost consciousness again after that.

<> 

He dreamed of Tartarus, unsurprisingly. First it was just him trekking through the shadows, keeping his head down and ears open, and then Bianca was there, a rotting corpse in a silver winter coat. Then Hazel joined them, followed by Jason, Frank, Leo, Percy. Annabeth melted out of the black to hiss at him wordlessly. 

Nico broke into a run, gasping for breath, but they caught up to him easily. None of them said anything, just glared at him accusingly with dead eyes. The ground sucked at his feet. He tripped over something and fell with a pained cry. 

He scrambled to his feet, and when he looked behind him Will was there, reaching out for him and yelling for help.

 _"Will!"_ Nico rushed towards him, cupping his face and frantically looking him over for some kind of injury. The son of Apollo hugged him tightly, kissing his forehead, but before Nico could ask him anything the dream faded away like fog. 

<> 

The first thing he noticed when he woke was a pair of beautiful brown eyes staring down at him, wide with concern. 

"Psyche," he croaked. 

"Don't move," she ordered him, serious for once. "Your ribs and back are gonna be sore. _Really_ sore."

Nico shifted and hissed when pain bloomed along aforementioned regions. The goddess patted his shoulder, looking tired. 

"Is Lacy okay?" he asked. 

"Lacy? Oh yeah, she's good. Eros sent her back to Camp Half-Blood."

Nico sighed in relief and let his head fall back against the pillow. His entire body felt awful, like he had ran a marathon, fell down a mountain, and picked a fight with Cerberus for the heck of it.

"Dude, you need some work when it comes to not getting yourself killed." Psyche gently poked the tip of his nose. "You almost _died."_

"That happens more than you think it would," he mumbled. "Thanks for helping me."

"Uh-huh. I did everything I could for your ribs and back, but you're still gonna be sore for awhile. _Keres_ -inflicted injuries are a real bitch."

Footsteps thumped down the stairs, and Nico didn't even have the energy to flinch away when Cupid's face came into his line of vision. Nico hoped the moisture on one corner of his mouth was from practically eating dirt down in that gross cave and not because he had started drooling in his sleep. 

"I've seen corpses with more life in them," he noted curiously. 

"I kicked your ass down there and I'll do it again," Nico groaned. 

"Not before I kicked yours, little prat."

Psyche facepalmed. "Way to be a good teammate, babe."

Cupid shoved her head against the back of the couch, making her squawk and kick him. He snorted. She flipped him off. 

"Is it true? Our fearless leader got beaten up by a popsicle stick in an aviator jacket?" Himeros yelled from the kitchen. 

"I'm not a popsicle stick!" Nico protested, but he got cut off by Psyche cackling and dancing around her husband. 

"So he totally got in the zone, didn't he? Had a lot of _willpower,_ if you get my drift!"

Nico moaned and threw an arm over his face. "Psyche! I thought you were on _my_ side!"

"She's _my_ wife, di Angelo," Cupid reminded him smugly. 

"I may be your wife, dearest, but I am so rubbing it in for the next several centuries that a hundred-pound bag of bones and bad decisions handed your ass to you on a silver platter. And don't give me that look, I can see your wing is still healing."

Psyche pranced off, leaving Cupid spluttering. He glanced at Nico, and then back his wife. 

 _"Goddesses,"_ he muttered under his breath. 

<> 

Nico couldn't even bring himself to feel guilty about laying around like a log for the rest of the evening.

At one point he must have passed out again, because later in the afternoon he was woken up by the unmistakable aroma of pizza. He sat upright, teenage instincts taking over.

Pothos and Hermaphrodite hummed the old _Frankenstein_ theme from the other sofa.

A paper plate with a slice of Hawaiian pizza was dropped on his lap. "I want to see that whole piece gone, di Angelo. No ifs or buts."

"Yes, ma'am," he mumbled, breaking off with a yawn.

"And eat some salad, too."

"Mm-hm."

"You go, Mom," Hermaphrodite slurred, half asleep on Pothos' shoulder.

"Oh, hush."

Himeros made his appearance at the top of the stairs and proceeded to slide down the rail. "Dude, tell us everything."

Nico nodded and swallowed his pizza. "For starters, did you know Eros is afraid of the dark?"

Himeros guffawed and whacked Pothos. "You're shitting me!"

A muffled curse came from the study, and said love god came stomping out. "Nico di Angelo, you will shut your mouth."

"So that's what's up with all the nightlights," Psyche mused.

"No, dear, I just like not banging my toes on everything should I have to get up at night to pee," Cupid argued.

"You have better eyesight than anybody I know."

Nico decided he'd better change the subject before Cupid brought his wrath down upon him again. "Anyways, we get to the Underworld. We fight, hurray for not breaking godly rules-"

"Still don't think that's how it works, but continue," said Cupid.

"And we get up to the walls of Erebus. We hide just in time before some _Keres_ pass by, and then the Furies show up and _they_ fight-"

"There was guts everywhere. I'm still nauseous."

"- Cupid gets us over the wall and we follow this trail of burnt grass to a cave. And," Nico cleared his throat, beating away memories of Tartarus from his mind. He was fine now. He could focus on how to defeat the _Keres_ and save his friends. "Cupid charges in like a moron and gets pinned against a stalactite by some _Keres-"_

"Oi!"

"But there was a pit leading to Tartarus below, so we fight the _Keres,_ save Lacy, and get out of there. The end."

"Bruh, there was a pit to _Tartarus?"_ Psyche exclaimed. Then she glanced down at him, blinking. "Hold up. You're about to have an anxiety attack."

Nico gave her the thumbs up and laid back, breathing deeply. He knew anxiety attacks like the back of his hand, but every time was still awful. His heart started to pound harder and harder in his chest.

 _Godsdammit, calm_ down _Nico._

Psyche squeezed his hand. He felt the goddess' comforting aura go to work, and he let himself relax.

 _Breathe in to seven, out to eight,_ Will's voice told him.

Nico inhaled again, breathing in the scent of warm feathers and coffee and autumn. 

"You go, kid," he heard Himeros say. "Anxiety ain't shit."

"Ssh, let him rest," Psyche murmured.

Nico closed his eyes. "'M okay. Sorry."

"Bub, you never have to apologize for something like that, alright?" Psyche cupped his hand in her warm palms. 

"Okay."

He felt Cupid's eyes on him.

_Okay, Nico, talk about something. Don't let it get awkward._

"I've been to Tartarus, so... yeah. It's just... bad memories. "

When he opened his eyes Psyche was staring at him, brown eyes wide with shock. The other Erotes looked dismayed and almost... sad?

"Hades' hairy nutsack, dude. How are you alive?" Himeros asked, wings slack. 

"Himeros!" the other gods complained. 

Nico snorted, and then he was full on laughing. He glanced at Psyche, who looked both concerned and amused, and laughed harder.

"Humans are weird," Pothos muttered. 

"I needed that, Himeros. Thanks," Nico chuckled. 

The love god fluffed his smoky wings and ruffled the boy's hair. "I like you, kid."

Cupid shuffled over to lean back against the sofa. Nico glanced down at him and then forced himself to breathe deeply, one last time. Maybe it was the exhaustion from the anxiety attack, or maybe he was actually getting used to the gods' presence, but being around the guy seemed to be getting a little easier. 

"What's our next plan?" Cupid asked. 

Nico grabbed the letter that had laid forgotten on his legs and opened it. It was from Frank.

 

_Nico,_

_I hope everything's okay. Like Reyna and Hazel said, though, we're all kicking your butt when you come back._

_Those guys who want to replace Reyna with one of Octavian's supporters are still being a pain. They're trying to stir stuff up with Camp Half-Blood, saying how you guys were willing to give us up to Gaea in the battle against the giants and how you still can't be trusted, Roman tradition, blah blah blah. It would be funny but some kids in the cohorts, especially some of the older ones, are paying a little more attention to them than we would like. I've been keeping everybody busy by sending out hunting parties for those_ Keres _things, and we actually found some! We haven't lost anybody yet, but Gwen almost got her arm taken off. Yikes._

_Jason still can't remember anything, but he's been having weird dreams about what kind of sounds like Tartarus. From what he's told me they're not especially scary, just... strange. He's doing fine, though. I'll keep you posted._

_As for those_ Keres _dens, check out downtown LA. We found two._

_Best of luck,_

_Frank Zhang_

 

A strange ache welled up in Nico's chest, but he shoved it aside. The more he focused on the mission, the sooner he would find his friends. 

"We're going to LA. Frank said there's _Keres_ dens there," he explained. 

Cupid groaned. "Fantastic. I just love playing exterminator."

"You two are doing awesome," Psyche assured him. Cupid smiled a little at that.

"So," Nico sat up, wincing. "I'll wash up real quick, then we can-"

"Get some sleep because nobody wants a dead demigod somewhere in a dumpster in downtown Los Angeles," Psyche finished, holding out an arm to bar Nico from standing. 

"Oh, come on. I won't let the child die," Cupid promised. 

"I love you, dude, but humans are pretty fricking stupid sometimes and Nico's already injured. His ribs still need to heal."

"Don't I get a say in this?" Nico dared to ask, feeling dangerously like a kid caught between quarreling parents. 

The gods turned to give him a stern look. 

"This is better than _Modern Family,"_ Hermaphrodite snickered. Pothos actually cracked a grin. Himeros propped his head on his knees, looking very invested in the conversation. 

Nico gulped and sank down into the cushions. 

Psyche crossed her arms and leveled a stare at her husband, one brow raised. Cupid clasped his hands behind his back. Snowy wings bristled. 

That lasted a solid three minutes before Cupid broke, giving Nico a defeated look. The son of Hades groaned.

_Will's life is probably in danger, and I'm supposed to just lay around all night?!_

Himeros, Pothos, and Hermaphrodite scampered off, probably to avoid their leader's sour mood. Psyche hugged him, gave him a flirty wink, and raced after them. 

"Mmph." The love god flopped down next to Nico on the couch, who blinked at him in surprise. 

"So..." Gods, this was awkward. "How are you feeling about... all of this?"

Cupid considered that. "It's... a new experience, to say the least. I'll be honest with you; I dislike it immensely."

"Boy, never saw that coming."

He looked down at Nico, amber eyes almost the same color as the evening sunlight streaming in from the windows. "But I must apologize for how I treated you at first. It was incredibly immature of me to blame you for something that was, and still is, completely out of your control. Never let it be said that we gods are good with relating to mortals, save for my wife."

Nico stared at him. "Huh, apology accepted."

The god actually smiled at him. "So, shall we consider ourselves a team from now on?"

Nico forced himself to look into his eyes. He would not be afraid of Cupid anymore, he told himself. Was it okay to feel a bit of residual wariness from time to time? Sure. But from now on, he would just have to put up with him. Will was counting on it. 

"Yeah. We can be a team," he agreed.

"... We don't have to do the cheesy fist bump, do we?" Cupid asked warily. 

"Hell no."

"Thank the Fates."

They sat in a silence that was almost comfortable. Nico tried to think of anything that could advance the mission, but without actually getting up and traveling to Los Angeles, where the _Keres_ dens had been found, there wasn't a whole lot he could do. Normally he'd just leave as soon as somebody's back was turned, but despite Psyche's laid-back personality he doubted she was god he could afford to piss off. 

Cupid seemed to sense his frustration. "My wife means well, son of Hades. We'll leave before the sun rises tomorrow."

"... Yeah," Nico conceded. 

<>

He woke just after midnight. After he was sure the gods were all sleeping or at least not leaving their rooms anytime soon, he grabbed his sword and slipped into the shadows.

_I'll be back soon. Sorry._


	7. Psyche Does Conspiracy Boards

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico takes a little night trip to LA and ends up in a situation no amount of undead soldiers can save him from. 
> 
> Okay guys, this is one of the darker chapters I was telling you about. Nothing really bad happens, but still, there will be some violence and shit.

Los Angeles was sprawling, wild, and noisy. It that sense it was a lot like New York, but it was also the complete opposite. New York was chaos, but it was organized chaos. You could figure your way around in a relatively short amount of time. One landmark led to another. When in doubt, a taxi was just around the corner, ready to rescue any lost soul with cash and a general idea of where they wanted to go. 

If you got lost in LA? Well, gods have mercy on your soul. 

Keeping to the shadows, Nico made his way into the grimier parts of the city, figuring the _Keres_ would like it better there. 

_Alright, you ugly bastards. Show yourselves._

There were no demons to be found, but Nico found himself getting hassled by gangs from time to time. They weren't much of a problem; he'd been dealing with thugs since the first day he'd struck out on his own, but it did get a little annoying. He decided not to feel bad for raising a few skeletons to scare off a particularly large band of gun-toting morons. Besides, he was busy.

After two hours, twenty-one minutes, and fifteen seconds he was ready to call it a night, but as he passed a store he made eye contact with a woman inside.

It wouldn't have been more than a coincidence if she hadn't been looking like she was expecting him. 

Nico halted, debating between continuing on his way or asking the lady what her deal was, but then deep blue eyes locked with his again and she motioned with her head to come in. He glanced at the interior of the shop- it was a classic fortune-reading hole in the wall, promising a look into one's future for just twenty dollars. Velvet drapes decorated the walls and hung from the ceiling, and glow-in-the-dark stars cast a faint golden light from above. It smelled like lavender as he cautiously stepped inside. 

"Nico di Angelo. Please, have a seat."

Okay, so she was either a goddess or a monster. He readied himself to fight even as he sat down in the chair across from her. 

"Um, hello," he started off. 

The woman smiled warmly, blue eyes the color of a tide pool. "Hello yourself. Unfortunate that you haven't found what you've been looking for, considering you've come all this way."

"How do you know-"

"I see a lot, son of Hades, even for a goddess. It's how I've managed to stay out of _her_ clutches so far," she told him. 

"Who?"

"I can't tell you her name, lest I draw her attention. But beware; enemies are most often found in allies."

Nico shifted uncomfortably. "Can you tell me where my friends are?"

The goddess shook her head. "They've been hidden well, but fear not, I know that they are safe at the moment. But it is you who is trying to save them, so it is you who I am focusing on. Could I see your hand?"

"My hand?"

She tilted her head, looking almost mischievous. "I am a fortune teller, Nico di Angelo."

Something in Nico's brain clicked. _Fortune._

"Lady Tyche," he acknowledged, dipping his head in respect. 

"Smart boy. Now, will you let me help you?"

Nico held out his hand. Tyche took it with one of her own, and with the other she lightly traced the palm of his hand. 

"Your perseverance and strength will be tested like never before, no doubt about that. Difficult times lie ahead. There will be decisions that will be unfamiliar and hard to even think about. But," she added, "I can see an incredible friendship, nothing like the world has ever seen before. This bond, son of Hades, lies with one that you thought you would hate forever. Trust him. Your fates are forever intertwined."

Nico's stomach dropped when he realized who she must be talking about. _"Eros?_ You can't be serious, he-"

"He is blind to his faults. It is no excuse, but if you can bring yourself to open up to him..." Tyche looked down at him, smiling. "It's no coincidence you two have been brought together. This quest depends on your teamwork."

"That guy's an _ass._ If it means saving Will and the others I'll put up with him. But there is no way in hell I'm getting all buddy-buddy with him. He _outed_ me, for all the gods' sake! Why would-"

Tyche held up a hand. "Your anger is justified, boy. A harpy could see that. But there is more to any god that meets the eye."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that..." Tyche's finger suddenly pressed down harder into his palm, blue eyes narrowing. "Oh. It seems that the next part of your journey is about to commence. Leave, Nico di Angelo, and remember what I've told you."

Before he could say anything he was outside, with another woman in a pink peacoat in front of him.

This time Nico immediately knew who it was. "Eos."

The goddess smiled warmly. "Nico, it's so good to see you again. Please, come. I believe we can help each other in these troubling times."

<> 

They took a taxi to one of the fanciest mansions Nico had ever seen, and he had seen a lot of sweet cribs. 

Beautiful works of art lined the walls, and a beautiful staircase led up to the second floor. It was warm and comfortable, with golden candles casting flickering light over the rooms. Nico found himself in one of the great halls with the goddess, enjoying the view of the city below. A nymph brought them some kind of foreign juice that tasted like the best sweet tea on the planet. 

"Nico, I can't even begin to imagine how hard this quest has been for you so far," Eos said quietly, after a long moment of watching Los Angeles. "The Erotes are amazing gods, truly, but I know how exhausting being around Eros can be. When this is all over I promise you won't have to see him again."

Maybe it was his exhaustion, or maybe just the stress of the last couple of days catching up to him, but Nico's throat felt thick. "Thank you, Lady Eos. You said you needed help? I'll do anything within my power."

The goddess' beautiful face hardened with determination. "Your goodness will not be forgotten. My sister, Selene, faded thousands of years ago. I believe if enough people are introduced to her legacy, she can be brought back. It was not her time. I hope you, a child of the god of death, can come to understand that more than anybody."

Nico remembered his dreams, how Selene seemed to be resisting her sister's aid. "Are you sure she wants to come back? It's been such a long time."

"She does," she said firmly. "I fear that if we don't act now she'll be lost forever. This is an opportunity that will probably never arise again."

"How do we start?"

"You know her story, right? She was the goddess of the moon, and gave birth to fifty daughters by the mortal Endymion. A lovely man, he was great company." Eos seemed lost in memory for a moment before continuing. "Each night she would drive her chariot across the sky and light up the sleeping world, so that all the creatures of the dark may find their way and any lost traveler have a guiding light to bring them home. Her kindness knew no bounds."

Nico nodded. "You miss her."

"Dearly. I admit part of my motivation is loneliness. It's been a long several thousand years." Eos cleared her throat, her voice a little rough with emotion. "But I can't even bring myself to think about how lonely my sister must be, whatever remains of her."

Nico knew what it was like to be lonely. He rested a hand on the goddess' forearm. She covered his hand with her own, giving him a grateful look. 

"Thank you, Nico di Angelo. We'll find your friends and bring back my sister by the time the first snow falls."

He smiled as well, comforted by the goddess' warmth and the sweet drink making him drowsy. 

"Anyways, I should get you back to Chicago, can't have-" Eos began, and then she stopped. Her eyes blew wide and color rushed to her cheeks. 

"Eos? Are you okay?" Nico asked, concerned.

The goddess shivered. Her hands tightened around Nico's, and she slowly turned to face him. 

"I..." Violet eyes narrowed. "Nico, could I ask for one more favor?"

"Uh... Sure? Do you need to sit down, you're shaking-"

Without warning Eos took his hand and led him down the hall.

Nico felt a surge of alarm as he suddenly felt woozy. The taste in his mouth was sour-sweet, almost cloying. As she all but dragged him up the stairs, he felt his knees start to grow weak, like he was about to pass out. In the back of his mind, something was screaming at him to _run._

_What... was in that drink?_

Eos looked back at him. "Do you trust me? I know this is sudden, but I'll make it as fast as possible."

"What?" Nico slurred. 

Eos grinned, eyes darkening in the shadows. "Good enough."

He blinked furiously as she pushed him against a wall, trying to clear his head. Why was she shoving him around? Why was she touching him?

Then her voice was right in his ear. "Don't worry, I've been told I'm a real _knockout_ when it comes to... Having _fun."_

Nico noticed something out of the corner of his eye. It was growing bigger, and had wings-

_CRASH!_

The sound of shattering glass made Eos gasp in shock and whip around. Nico stumbled, his jacket halfway off for some reason. 

And then Eos was yelling in pain, an arrow protruding from her chest. She swung at the man who materialized in front of her, who retaliated with grabbing her by the throat and slamming her into the wall. The goddess fell over, dazed. 

Then Cupid was right in front of him, eyes blazing like hellfire. 

 _"Nico!_ Nico, are you alright?! Talk to me, please-!"

"Are you _shitting_ me? Mind your own damn business-!"

"You filthy _whore!_ You dare lay hands on a child?! _I'll fucking kill you!"_

The last part of Cupid's sentence was all but screamed. The sounds of a brutal fistfight made Nico's head ring, and he leaned against the wall for support, shivering. Why were they fighting? What-

Nico was picked up, and he clung weakly to a white hiking jacket. 

Eos came into his line of sight. Ichor, the blood of the gods, streamed from cuts in her face and gushed from the wound in her chest. She bared her teeth at him, shaking and still red in the face. The image was so terrifying Nico shook with fear. A hand cupped the back of his head, solid and strong.

He heard Cupid speak again, his voice a furious snarl. "You will pay for this with your life, _Eos._  You belong in Tartarus, like the monster you are."

"I'm not to blame for this! Your _bitch_ of a mother cursed me to be this way!"

 _"_ _You_ are the only one to blame. _You_ are the only one who can take responsibility for your actions. _You_ always have a choice, Eos! I am the god of desire. I know this for a fact."

"I-"

 _"_ _Silence."_ Cupid's voice was coated in ice. "Sleep with one eye open, whore. The next time we meet will be your end."

Nico started to black out as he was carried away. By the time he felt the god take flight, his eyes slid shut, and then there was nothing.

<> 

When he woke up he had no idea where the hell he was.

He looked over at the unfamiliar desk next to his bed, and then the view of Chicago outside the window.

_Oh, right._

Nico sat up, his head pounding. What the hell happened last night? He was talking with Eos, and then he started feeling weird...

He was gross and sweaty, so he figured a shower was in order. Before he could take his jacket off, however, tense voices wafted up from downstairs.

... Maybe he should see what was going on first.

When he stumbled his way down the stairs he was greeting with the sight of eight, no, _nine_ gods sitting in a tight circle, arguing quietly. Favonius was there, sitting quietly next to Himeros. Dark eyes were unreadable and distant.

Cupid spotted him first and lunged to his feet. Nico barely had time to yelp in surprise before he was brought into a tight circle of arms and wings.

"Oh, thank the _Fates._ Are you alright? Are you hurt?" The love god pulled back enough to look at Nico. He felt the boy's forehead and gave him a once-over, muttering frantically to himself.

"What?" Was all he managed. "Wait, what happened?"

 _"_ _Eos_ happened, that's what," Cupid snarled, eyes flashing red. "That absolute _bitch,_ I've been begging Mother to do something about her for millennia, but _no-"_

"Give him some air, love," Psyche instructed gently. Cupid obeyed, releasing him.

The god's rage triggered a rush of memories. Nico remembered being led up some stairs, being held by a bruising pair of hands... Unable to move, his head fogged and useless.

"What happened?" he repeated.

Cupid took a deep breath. "You never heard about what Aphrodite did to her, I assume."

"Wait." Nico blinked. "Didn't Eos sleep with Ares? Then Aphrodite cursed her..."

"Exactly. She cursed her to be insatiable. So instead of handling it like a responsible goddess she goes around assaulting young men and... _using_ them."

Psyche squeezed her eyes shut. The other Erotes looked just as outraged as their leader was. Even good-natured Anteros had his jaw clenched in anger.

At last, it hit Nico what had happened, what _exactly_ Cupid had saved him from.

He tried to breathe, but couldn't, and then a quiet noise burst from his chest. Whimpering and shaking, he wilted into himself, and was gently brought back into an embrace. Nico went willingly and clung to Cupid, not exactly crying, but unable to do anything more than gasp for air. A strange kind of panic filled his body. He felt numb.

He was guided to the couch. Nico let himself be held, too tired to move. Psyche's soft hand held one of his, and he squeezed it tight.

For what felt like years Nico rested against Cupid. The god's wings wrapped around them both, forming a protective shield.

Finally, he was able to speak. "I'm sorry. I should have listened, I should have just stayed here, I'm such an idiot-"

"Child, this was _not_ your fault. Something like this is _never_ your fault." Cupid rubbed his back, hugging him closer. "Nobody ever asks to be assaulted. The shame you feel is only your mind playing tricks on you. Understand?"

"... Okay," Nico croaked.

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to relax. To his surprise, he heard Cupid's heartbeat in his ear, slow and steady like a drum.

The sound was so strangely natural, so _human_ that Nico instinctively fell dead silent.

_Ba-boom. Ba-boom. Ba-boom._

The other Erotes took the hint and got up to leave. Nico briefly locked eyes with Favonius, who nodded at him before following his comrades upstairs to doâ€¦ whatever it is Erotes did in their down time.

Psyche stayed with them. Nico realized that he was still curled up against Cupid and that he should probably move. With a great deal of effort, he pushed himself upright so he was leaning against the backrest of the couch.

He would have been embarrassed for letting himself be so vulnerable in front of Cupid, but the god looked totally unbothered. Psyche yawned and stretched her legs out so they gently knocked against her husband's. Nico sat cross-legged behind Cupid's knees, not making eye contact with either of them.

"Did you find anything else out in Los Angeles?" Cupid asked.

His little fortune-telling experience came to mind. "Um, yeah. I met with Tyche."

"Oh?" The god glanced up at him.

"She said I'd make powerful bonds with people and go through hard times and... yeah. Nothing I already didn't know," Nico muttered.

"I'm beginning to see why demigods are so foul-tempered sometimes. Are we seriously not allowed any sort of useful information?"

"Welcome to my world."

Cupid tapped his knee, casting his eyes downward. He didn't seem to have anything else to comment on, but then he asked, "Child, are you going to be alright?"

Nico's eyes fixated on a hole in his jeans, olive skin visible beneath. "Yeah. I just... We need to take her out somehow. She can't keep hurting people like this."

"Agreed. But for now, let's focus on the _Keres._ Eos may be just the goddess of the dawn but she is still a force to be reckoned with," Cupid told him. "It will take a lot of planning to take her down."

The boy nodded.

Psyche gave Nico's hand another squeeze, and then she perked up. "Dude. You know what I'm thinking?"

A slow smile spread across Cupid's face. "My beloved wife, I believe I do."

"I'll go get the shit."

"I'll start writing stuff down."

The gods bolted, leaving a very confused and concerned son of Hades by himself.

"Um, guys?â" He questioned, blinking.

 _"_ _Conspiracy boooaaarrrdddd!"_ Psyche yelled from upstairs. "All Erotes to main stage in five! We have important business to attend to!"

"Conspiracy board?"

Cupid swept by, scribbling stuff down on a clipboard. "It's theory time, Nico di Angelo. Perhaps a little dabbling around in tin foil hats will make the start of this day a little more bearable. Oh, and please go take a shower. I can smell the entirety of Los Angeles on you."

 


	8. Stress Relief with the God of Love, AKA Cupid Likes Interrogating People

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cupid begins to realize that maybe questing with Nico di Angelo won't be so terrible.

Cupid had seen many things in his many millennia on Earth.

He had seen the rise and fall of empires, brought together kings and queens that would rule for centuries, even after their mortal bodies succumbed to death. Whenever a war tore peoples apart, he would be there in the aftermath, giving them the strength to pick themselves back up. Every year, every day he watched over humanity. As both the oldest force in the universe and the son of a love goddess it was his sacred duty. He had always been there, and he always would be.

That was why when he had discovered Nico had left he had went off to find him, a bad feeling rising in his gut. As usual, his instincts had been right, and he had blessedly made it in time to rescue the child from Eos' evil clutches.

Thank goodness for small miracles.

The son of Hades had been understandably shocked and upset when he realized what that monster of a goddess was about to do to him, the poor thing. Cupid liked Nico, he truly did. Even so, even he was a bit surprised when he had offered him all the comfort he wanted. His wife's comforting influence was to blame for that, he decided. He also reminded himself that Nico did not quite trust him yet (not that he could blame him, he _was_ a bit intimidating, he knew). If they were to succeed on this... this _quest,_ then learning how to be at least somewhat comfortable around each other was a necessity. And so here they were now.

Nico didn't move when Cupid rejoined him on the couch, but he did accept the tea the god handed to him, murmuring his thanks. Together, they watched Psyche have fun with her conspiracy board.

Within the next couple of minutes, a world map was taped to the wall (with some mishaps with command strips) and red thumbtacks stuck wherever there had been a fight with the Keres. White string connected New York and Chicago. Psyche had dragged another coffee table to stand on while she worked. 

"Psyche, beloved, you are a goddess. You can appear however you wish, and therefore you can be taller and have no need to stand on a table," Cupid told her. 

"Nah."

Nico's nervous energy let up a little as he sipped his tea. His earlier shower seemed to have calmed him down as well, just a bit. "... New York, Chicago. Not a whole lot to work from."

"Or is it?" Psyche tapped a highlighter to her temple. "Some things I've noticed are their fondness for abandoned buildings. Even with the Mist they seem to avoid mortals. And they don't like the heat."

"With winter coming, that could add to their power," Cupid noted.

"Exactly. And where's somewhere that's cold and has a lot of abandoned buildings?"

"A lot of places, dear."

"Detroit, Michigan! The east side, specifically. Third highest murder rate in the nation. That's your next stop."

"Why not Philadelphia, or Boston?" Nico asked. "Those are big cities, too."

"Philly and Boston have crime, yes, but not quite like New York and Chicago. Trust me, if my theory is correct- and my theories are _always_ correct, then the _Keres_ have already set up a base over there," Psyche explained.

"Just got back from Detroit, actually!" It was Zephyrus who spoke this time, swaggering into the living room. "And I'm pretty sure you're right, Psyche."

"Pretty sure?" Cupid asked dryly.

His old servant and long-time friend made a face at him. "Yes. I saw some weird wispy things in an alleyway. But I was going several hundred miles an hour, so, y'know."

Nico stood, stretching carefully. Humans healed stupidly slow, so he was bound to be still hurting after that fight in the Underworld, Cupid figured.

"Sounds good to me. Let's go."

"Already?" Cupid was impressed. The poor child was still clearly shaken, but already he looked to be itching to get going again. "Well, if you insist."

"Lil' man's non-stop." Zephyrus called from the kitchen. "Goddammit, Himeros, quit drinking my nectar!"

"Wasn't me!" Himeros yelled from upstairs.

"Yeah it was, there's a little gray feather stuck to the cap of the carton!"

"Hymen has gray feathers too, dickass!"

Cupid rolled his eyes at the antics of his comrades. "Nico, let us leave before these morons dissolve our brains with the sheer force of idiocy."

Nico's lips twitched up in a small smile.

<> 

The son of Hades insisted on shadow-traveling.

Cupid had been a bit wary, as the child was still weak, but Nico seemed fine as they emerged from the darkness. Cupid himself, however, was most definitely not.

The sensation of being squeezed into the shadows and tossed through an infinite void had almost made him panic. That would have been unbecoming, considering the fact he had almost torn the Underworld in half from being in that thrice-damned tunnel. Small spaces did _not_ do it for him.

As soon as Cupid got his bearings his stomach rolled, and for the first time he experienced what he was pretty sure was nausea (is that what mortals called it?) and had to lean against a nearby building.

"Oh, that was absolutely miserable. Never again, son of Hades," he groaned.

Nico snorted. "I didn't know gods got nauseous."

"I get carsick and I'm claustrophobic. Shadow-travel is the worst combination of those two things," he growled as he strode off with the young demigod.

Something strange passed over Nico's face. "You're claustrophobic?"

"Yes. What of it?" he asked, letting just a bit of hostility cross his voice.

Nico stared ahead, dark eyes unreadable. "I started experiencing claustrophobia after two titans imprisoned me in a jar for a couple of weeks. You know Otis and Ephialtes?"

"Ah, those bastards." Cupid said dryly. "And a couple of weeks? How did they remember to keep an eye on you? I'm assuming you were too weak to shadow-travel."

"Um... they just kinda let me rot in there until I almost died. It was pretty much right after I got out of Tartarus, too, so yeah. If I tried to shadow-travel I would have dissolved into nothing on the spot," Nico recalled, sounding like he was just explaining the workings of the inside of a clock.

Cupid stared at him.

Even by godly standards, Nico had been through more than most, he realized. His grudging respect for the child grew even more when he remembered how he had lost his sister not so many years ago. What had her name been? Bella? Bea? _Bianca,_ he remembered.

Nico didn't seem to think much of it and spotted something in the distance- an old water tower, rusted and filthy from negligence.

"Let's go to the top and look around. We'll be able to see a whole lot from there," Nico suggested. Cupid nodded and strode after him.

He had to admit, sneaking around like a delinquent mortal and breaking into things was actually pretty fun. There was the element of a good challenge to it, and he _loved_ challenges. Cupid chuckled and shook his head when he saw the graffiti mortals left behind. He enjoyed the one piece that stated "Thomas fucked Ben's mom and she loved every second of it", especially because he knew it was true.

Nico's voice echoed from up the winding staircase. "Dude, if you wanted to admire humanity's finest works of art I would have brought you to a museum.

"Believe it or not, Nico di Angelo, I do have a sense of humor, as crude as it may be," Cupid called as he raced after him.

The child grumbled something that sounded suspiciously like "As long as it involves beating the crap out of somebody."

He quickly caught up with Nico, who was messing around with the locked hatch that led to the very top of the water tower. The only people who got up here were the maintenance people who checked on the antenna for damage, so it was screwed down tightly.

The demigod settled for bashing the lock with the butt of his sword handle and climbing out. Cupid hauled himself up after him, keeping an eye on a panting Nico.

"Your ribs are hurting you," he accused.

"I'm fine," Nico grunted.

Cupid rolled his eyes. He could feel the child's temper souring from the pain, and Nico's emotional state was already one of perpetual moodiness as it was.

'Let me see," he ordered.

Nico hesitated, his eyes flickering up to his with uncertainty. Not for the first time, Cupid reminded himself to be patient with him.

Then he remembered what had happened just last night. A strange dullness rose in his throat, like the feeling he had experienced when he had seen a drugged Nico, all but half unconscious and helpless to resist that demon Eos. Cupid was feeling _guilty,_ he realized. He hadn't felt guilty for as long as he could remember. He had also felt guilty when he hadn't made it to Nico sooner. Granted, nothing _truly_ horrible had happened, but still...

He wanted to throw the child off the tower for making him feel all these blasted emotions.

Mentally, he regrouped and adopted a gentler tone. "Can I heal it a little? I'm not very good at it, but I can at least numb the pain."

The son of Hades blinked up at him with expressionless black eyes before nodding.

Carefully, the god reached out and pressed his palm against Nico's side. He willed the torn muscle and bruised skin to heal, forcing the pain to recede. Nico jumped slightly, but relaxed after, relief evident on his face.

"... Thanks," he said.

"It's nothing."

They turned their attention back to the bright sprawl of Detroit. The sun was rising, casting a warm golden glow over the city and making the distant skyscrapers glint in the light.

"Those warehouses, over there." Nico pointed to the rougher area of the slum they were in. "They're bound to be abandoned. If the _Keres_ aren't there then I bet another monster will be. Maybe we could even get information out of it."

"You're that certain?" Cupid asked curiously.

"I've been doing this for the last five years of my life," Nico huffed.

"Five years, hmm?"

The demigod made a face at him. "Don't take that tone of voice with me, _old man."_

"Why, you-!"

Nico melted into the shadows, grinning.

The god spluttered, and then he was _laughing,_ smiling so widely his face hurt. The cold autumn air filled his lungs and wings. He took a flying leap off the tower and dove down to the warehouses.

The door to one storage unit was cracked open when he landed. He felt Nico's presence nearby, and saw a dark shadow between some crates. The air felt even chillier inside despite being sheltered from the cold morning winds.

"Child? Is that you?" he called. His eyesight rivaled that of a eagle's, but it was nearly pitch black inside the warehouse.

A shrill cry made his wings bristle. _"_ _Cupid!_ Help!"

"Nico! Where are you?" he called, alarmed. The child was already injured, surely he couldn't have found trouble already?

"I'm over here! It's the _Keres!"_

He bolted over, half-flying, half-running. Alarm grew in his stomach like a toxic fungus when he didn't find Nico. He nocked an arrow and took flight, pulling himself up into the rafters and willing himself to go invisible.

Then he spotted the cyclopes.

They had Nico gagged and bound, but that wasn't stopping the demigod from putting up one hell of a fight. For every time one of the monsters punched his gut, he would redouble his efforts, making his captors shuffle away from him as much as they could without giving him enough space to try and make an escape.

All of this the god saw through a dusty window that led into another part of the warehouse. But where was that cry coming from?

Cupid decided he'd think about that later, and launched himself through the window.

The cyclopes shrieked in terror at the noise. These were obviously some of the stupider specimens of their kind, the god thought disdainfully as he took aim and fired. He would

take just as much pleasure wiping them off the face of the earth as if he was fighting a smarter gang of monsters.

He landed hard on the concrete so it cracked beneath his feet and sent one monster into the nearby wall with a mighty blow of his wing. That had the other cyclopes running away, squealing for their mothers. Cupid smirked and shot one before he turned to Nico. He snapped the ropes binding his wrists and yanked the gag off.

"Thanks," Nico wheezed, rubbing his sore wrists drawing his sword. "What a bunch of assholes."

"Hold that thought."

Cupid was on the last cyclopes before any of them could take another breath. He kicked one so hard it fell to the floor. The other got the business end of an arrow in its face.

The god smiled pleasantly. "Good evening, gentlemen. What business?"

The cyclops with an arrow in his face gulped. "L-Lord Eros! We were after the demigod, not you! I prom-"

He got cut off with a squeak as the arrowhead brushed the tip of his nose ever so gently.

"Think carefully, monster filth, about why one of your brothers was imitating the child's voice in that other room. Could it be that you're lying to me?" Cupid purred.

The cyclopes glanced at each other, pale and shaking.

"T-That's just Kevin! We told him not to do anything stupid, but he-"

"Bah. It matters not. If you saw Nico was with _me,_ why did you attack? You're under orders," Cupid realized. "By whom?"

"We can't tell you that! We're sorry, but the boss will destroy our very essences! Have mercy, Lord Eros," the one on the floor begged. "We were sent to antagonize you because you're on a quest with a mortal. We didn't want to do it, but our lives were at stake!"

Cupid considered that. "My fellow immortals wish to test my boundaries. They see me as weak because I teamed up with a hero."

The cyclopes remained silent, trembling in terror.

"Well, I suppose that leaves me no choice."

Cupid forced his eyes to burst into red fire, and he grinned at the look of horror at the cyclops face, the one who had been unfortunate enough to be Nico's main captor. The monster got an arrow in his stomach, and he thrashed about in agony for a moment before dissolving into golden dust. The remaining cyclops still laid on the concrete, face screwed up in a grotesque grimace as he prepared himself to die.

"One more question. Are the _Keres_ working for your boss as well?" Cupid asked.

"Yes!" he shrieked.

"Very well. Go and find your boss and whatever immortals you may encounter, and tell them that I am only becoming stronger through this journey." Cupid paused as he realized the truth of his words. "I will become the strongest I've _ever_ been. And tell them that whoever lays a hand on Nico will face my wrath like none have before."

The cyclops nodded frantically, too scared to speak. The god watched in satisfaction as he scrambled to his feet and all but fell over himself to get away. The warehouse briefly lit up as the side door opened, and then they were cast back into darkness as the cyclops slammed it shut in his haste to leave.

Cupid turned back to Nico, smiling. "Interrogation. Excellent stress relief."

The demigod looked very pale. He nodded.

In a very good mood, Cupid clapped his shoulder and led the way out of the warehouse. Nico seemed to recover from his fright and caught up to him. Cupid blinked down at him as the young hero asked about visiting downtown Miami, the roughest part of the city. He smiled at the child's competence and approved. Together, they headed deeper into Detroit.

Cupid smiled and enjoyed the sunshine. Finally, things were looking up.

 


	9. Aphrodite Explains Some Shit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico's frustration grows, but so does his bond with his teammate.

It hadn't been very obvious when they had first met, but as they made their way into the busier parts of Detroit Nico wondered how he hadn't seen it before. 

Cupid was a people person.

The guy talked to _everybody._ He talked to the homeless guy on the curb about the weather. He talked with some teenager about how the American school system was a complete and utter failure. He had a fifteen-minute conversation with a girl dressed like something out of an anime about something called _Fullmetal Alchemist._ He listened to the cashier rant about how nobody had common decency anymore while he grabbed a coffee.

Nico wanted to bang his head against the nearest telephone pole. This was not getting him _any_ closer to saving Will and his other friends, and if Cupid didn't put it into first gear and explain why he was dragging Nico all over Detroit then he was going to summon a femur and shove it right up that god's-

"Nico! Come meet an old friend of mine!"

"I'm gonna set myself on fire," Nico hissed to himself. He schooled his expression into something less aggressive when he saw who Cupid was talking to on the street corner.

It was a tall lady with olive skin and black hair, dressed in a shimmering winter coat and jeans. A pair of wireless glasses perched on her nose. Her eyes were a brilliant dark green, like a forest in full bloom. She had the general appearance of a nerdy librarian lady, but Nico knew better.

"Hello, Lady Iris," he said with a bow.

"Nico di Angelo," the goddess said. "I wish we were meeting under better circumstances. Want a cupcake? They're gluten-free, vegan, and non-GMO."

Cupid made a cutthroat motion in the background, shaking his head.

"Oh, no thank you, Lady Iris. I, uh, ate just a bit ago," Nico lied.

"Fair enough. Too many calories in one sitting is bad for the body, y'know, especially if there's too many of one food group-"

Cupid pretended to throw up. Nico had to bite his tongue to keep himself from snorting at his teammate's antics.

Iris finished her short-lived rant, much to the relief of her associates. "... Especially the metabolism of mortals being the way it is. But I digress. Eros was just asking me about if I could do anything about the _Keres."_

That piqued Nico's interest. "Oh? Are you gonna help us fight them?"

Iris grimaced. "I have long since decided to remain neutral on all Olympian affairs, except in self-defense, of course. But I have sent some cloud nymphs to follow these Keres. Tell Zephyrus to keep an eye out for them; they can pass the word along to you two that way."

"Thank you for your assistance, Iris," said Cupid. "Hopefully this whole ordeal can be resolved quickly."

The rainbow goddess sighed, green eyes dulling like the graying sky above them. "Somehow I doubt it."

She shifted, changing into a little iridescent starling and flying off into the city.

Nico stared after her, anxiety gnawing at his stomach. "What does she mean by that?"

Cupid just huffed, but his amber eyes were narrowed. "Iris rarely worries about anything. If she's worked up about this of all things..." The god seemed lost in thought for a moment. Then he turned to Nico. "Perhaps my mother has some useful information for us."

<> 

"So before, when we went to the Underworld, why didn't you just teleport us there and save us the trouble?"

"I'm trying to avoid attention from the other gods. We immortals are fairly good at picking up each other's residual magical residue. We're going to Olympus, so it'll look much less suspicious than if we were traveling around on Earth. You know, like mortals."

"... That sounds fake, but okay."

Olympus was just as splendid as Nico remembered it, shining gold and white in the late morning sun. Winding roads led up to the palace of the gods. Gods, nymphs, and other beings even he had no name for walked along, enjoying the sunshine. It might have been almost winter on the planet below, but here it was as if it was late spring, with flowers blossoming in the trees and a warm breeze blowing through the buildings and markets.

They turned a corner that led farther up the mountain. Ahead, a gleaming white mansion caught the light and shined with all the glory of the sun and the gentle glow of the moon. Rose bushes lined the path to the home, which butterflies fluttered around like fans around their favorite celebrity. Above them, songbirds sang the sweetest of wordless melodies, a symphony of diamond and quicksilver.

Cupid bounded up the marble steps and knocked on the red cedar doors.

Almost immediately, a small, rosy-cheeked nymph opened the door, saw Cupid, and squeaked. "L-Lord Eros! Shall I go fetch your mother for you?"

"Yes, thank you, Peony," Cupid said smoothly.

Peony nodded, eyes wide, and scampered off. Cupid stepped inside, with Nico following closely behind. He hadn't had much experience with Aphrodite, none at all, actually, so all he was hoping for was that Cupid took less after _her_ and more after his father, Ares.

His hopes were fulfilled when a gorgeous woman in jeans and flannel pranced down the stairs, spotted Cupid, and gasped in delight.

"I was hoping you'd show up!" Aphrodite all but sprinted the rest of the way and launched herself into her son's arms. "Ohhh, I've missed you! All this crazy stuff about _Keres_ and then those missing mortals, and then the next thing I hear you're on a _quest!_ With a _demigod_ _,_ no less, I-" Aphrodite's beautiful blue eyes fell on Nico, and she gasped.

It was Nico's turn to get an armful of the love goddess. He yelped and looked at the other god, like, _Help._ Cupid just snickered.

Bastard.

"I've been looking forward to meeting you, Nico di Angelo," Aphrodite breathed, pulling back and looking down at him with an expression of pride. 

"You- you have?" Nico peeped. Those big blue eyes reminded him painfully of Will. 

This sucked.

"Of course!" Aphrodite gave him a look that said, _Well, duh!_ "We have much to discuss. Eros, sweetheart, kindly buzz off for a moment. This is between me and Nico."

Nico had to laugh when Cupid looked like his mother had just insulted his very existence, which he supposed she kind of did. _"_ _What?_ You're going to talk about him and Will Solace! That's my business! I'm the one who set them up, for Heaven's sake."

"You what?" Nico squawked, but Aphrodite was already shooing him out the back door, into her garden.

His head spun as Aphrodite closed the door behind her and trotted along the stone path, gesturing for him to follow her. Was Cupid really telling him the truth? Was his and Will's love only because of his meddling? But Will was truly in love with him. He had said so himself.

Right?

Aphrodite patted his shoulder. "I know you're worried about your Will Solace, son of Hades. But I can promise you this: his life is not at stake. Nor is the rest of your friends should you figure who is responsible for this by spring. The Fates have been muttering about spring, so that's what I'm guessing is your deadline."

"Don't you know anything more about this?"

Aphrodite pursed her lips. "Don't tell any of the other gods I told you this, but nobody has a damn clue what's going on. We've been-" She paused, eyes widening as she stared down at Nico. "I smell lust on you from somebody else. A woman... much older than you?!"

Nico swallowed, suddenly feeling very cold. Aphrodite's eyes widened even further, and anger twisted her beautiful features as she understood.

"Eos," he blurted out. "She tried to- I... But Cupid got there just in time. I'm fine."

Aphrodite looked relieved, but she still looked fearful. "Why were you with _Eos,_ Nico? That goddess is a monster!"

"Why'd you curse her to be insatiable, then?" Nico asked angrily. "I don't even want to know how many people have been hurt because of that!"

The love goddess' face grew dark with anger, and Nico realized he had made a very grave mistake. But before she could blast him to pieces she seemed to calm down.

"Let me tell you another secret, Nico di Angelo," Aphrodite said softly. "That curse was nothing but a placebo."

 _"_ _What?!"_

"That goddess has been avoiding punishment for the last several millennia. But when I finally get my hands on her..."

Aphrodite looked so frightening for a moment Nico could clearly see the resemblance between her and her son, and even Piper McLean when she was angry.

"Did she tell you anything? Anything at all?" the love goddess asked.

"She... she was talking about wanting to bring Selene back. The titan of the moon? She told me to tell as many people about her as I could. She's set on the idea that Selene wants to be revived, but I had this dream a few days ago, and from what I could tell that's not the case," Nico explained.

"That's all? She's definitely hiding something," Aphrodite muttered angrily. "Don't worry, dear. Stay close to Eros. I know you two can figure something out. If Eos has _anything_ to do with this, we gods will not hesitate to get involved. She may not look like much, but she's older than most of us. She's incredibly powerful."

"Thank you, Lady Aphrodite," Nico sighed, still frustrated beyond belief that nobody had any idea where his friends were.

The goddess patted his shoulder, and together they went back inside.

Cupid was waiting for them, pacing around the spacious living room. When he spotted his mother he strode over to talk with her, very quietly, and Nico had pretended he wasn't listening. He couldn't really figure out what they were saying, anyways, but he swore he made out "Eos", and "Working," and "Look after him".

A hand on his shoulder made him snap back into reality. Nico glanced up into amber eyes.

"Ready to go back? It's almost nighttime." Cupid's eyes were calm, a strange emotion within such a fiery color, within such a god Nico knew had the wrath of a thousand newborn stars.

"Um, yeah."

Aphrodite looked at them proudly. "Be safe, you two! And Eros, dear?"

The god glanced back at his mother. "Yes?"

"Take no shame from your quest. There is no age limit to learning, to rediscovering who you are. And if it hurts, well. That means you're doing it right."

The goddess' face became unnervingly emotionless.

Nico felt Cupid shift closer to him, his wings rustling. He took his hand, and then Olympus fell away as they teleported back to Chicago.

<> 

When they got back to the apartment it was already dark, with the wind blowing against the windows with a surprising amount of force. It would snow soon, Nico knew. All was silent otherwise.

"What's wrong?" Cupid asked suddenly as he hung up his coat. "You're tense."

Nico both liked and hated the fact that the god seemed to know what he was feeling. He liked it because that meant he couldn't surprise him with any emotion and possibly anger him that way. He hated it because it meant that Cupid was more or less looking into his very heart at any given moment.

"Because no matter what we try and do, it's getting me no closer to finding my friends. No _prophecy,_ no real _contact_ between me and my friends that haven't gone missing, no real _direction._ It's driving me insane!" Nico ground his teeth in rage. "All we have so far is some pissed off demons, some not-at-all helpful gods, and, and- Oh, ow. Ribs."

"Despite our lack of information, I do think we are doing a good job," Cupid said. "Well, I'm no judge of that, but still. Things will look better tomorrow, child. Remember, your friends are not in any immediate danger."

 _"_ _Immediate,"_ Nico hissed, but then he figured raging at the god was a good way to get his aching ribs rebroken. He took a deep breath, staring at the ceiling and counting to ten. When he was finished, he said "You're right. And you're doing great, I promise."

Cupid smiled and shooed him towards the couch so they could sit down. Nico, surprised, realized how the flat was already beginning to smell comforting. It smelled like coffee, and books, and somehow even like spring.

Then he remembered something. "Is it really that humiliating for you to be on this quest for me? Why do the other gods think less of you when you didn't even have a choice? You had to join me. We shared dreams and everything."

The god sighed, for once looking tired. "I suppose it's difficult to explain, me being an immortal and you being a demigod. But in the least degrading words I can, it's like being underwater. It's hard to move like you usually would, and the world you are familiar with is just above you, just out of reach. But you cannot go back to it unless you have completed your tasks. You must abide by certain rules, like not breathing in the water, or poking at strange creatures that live around you lest disaster strikes. And you know your friends and family have all gathered around the shore. They cannot swim, so they gawk and point and mutter amongst themselves. And still you long to rejoin them."

"... I had no idea it was like that," Nico said quietly.

"Of course you didn't, child. You are not me." Cupid rested his hand on Nico's forearm. "Go get some sleep."

It didn't hit Nico how utterly exhausted he was until the god told him that. Yawning, he trudged up the stairs, managed to find his way into his pajamas, and knocked out the moment his body hit the mattress.

<> 

A pair of hands dug into his shoulders, forcing him to stare out into the vast fiery plains of Tartarus. He was shoved forward.

Nico gasped, sucking sulfuric air into his lungs as the River Cocytus was suddenly at his feet. He tried to tear away from whatever had a grip on him but failed.

"Soon, Nico di Angelo," a voice whispered in his ear.

He squeezed his eyes shut. "Get the _hell_ away from me, Eos."

Eos laughed. "We're already in hell, sweet boy. Only in your dream, sadly, but if things go the way I think they might you might just have to drag your sorry carcass back down here."

"I'd rather die," Nico snarled, still refusing to look at the goddess. "Get _away_ from me!"

"Tsk. I'm just trying to help. I'm still open to that deal, you know. You did me a service by telling Aphrodite about Selene. I warned you before, and I'll warn you again: you can't trust Eros. That love god is nothing but trouble. Come to me, and we'll save your friends."

Eos released him and stood beside him on the shore, peering into the dark river with a smile on her beautiful face. Nico glared at her hatefully. He wanted to shove her right in, but he doubted that would go over well.

She turned to him and grinned. "I'll let you sleep on it. Remember where your priorities lie, son of Hades."

<> 

Nico woke up with a violent shriek.

The world spun around him, blurred and unfamiliar. He threw the covers back as he realized how sweaty he was. That was better, but it was still too hot in the room, where the walls seemed to be closing in on him.

He slipped from the bedroom and almost wet himself as he collided with somebody.

"Easy there, child." A strong hand steadied him. "You're alright. Deep breaths."

Nico inhaled with a wheeze, shivering. Distantly, he registered the night sky through the windows in the living room, infinitely black over the city lights of Chicago. It was still far from dawn.

"Nightmare?" Cupid asked.

Nico nodded. "Tartarus. Eos was there, too. She won't leave me be, I..." his voice started to tremble. "This isn't the first time I've dreamed of her, either."

His fear of the love god in front of him was nothing compared to the overwhelming terror that raged in his body when he recalled the sensation of Eos' fingernails digging into his collarbones. Distantly, he felt Cupid guide him downstairs.

Nico was suddenly extremely thirty. He grabbed a cup, filled it with water from the sink, and gulped it down eagerly. That was much better.

Cupid was watching the city from the living room, his black hair catching the light. The amber of his eyes seemed to glow from within, like fire was just beneath the surface, burning endlessly. Looking at him, Nico wondered how something so powerful and primordial could also look so human.

He put the cup in the sink and joined his teammate.

"I remember seeing you for the first time in Split. What was the year, 1938? Zephyrus pointed you out right away. He told me that you were destined for greatness, and that we would meet again. I would have never imagined it would happen like this," Cupid chuckled.

"Believe me, I was thinking the same thing," Nico muttered.

The god rested a hand on his shoulder, and Nico, for once, didn't really mind. His eyes started to feel heavy again, his nightmare fading away to the back of his mind. He was very good at banishing the memories of bad dreams.

"What if she comes back?" he asked tiredly, suddenly afraid again. That goddess didn't care how good his mental control was. She could do whatever she wanted, really.

Cupid considered that. "I can keep her out."

"You can?"

"Yes. Do you want to sleep out here or in your room?"

Nico didn't want to walk back up the stairs, so he just flopped down on to the sofa. He felt the cushions dip as the god sat next to him. His tired brain reminded him to thank Cupid for being so patient with him. This dude was actually pretty frickin' cool. He was, like, becoming a friend, which Nico was surprisingly okay with.

_A friend._

With that thought, Nico finally slept.


	10. Yes, MOOMMM

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico gets yelled at. Nico also yells at people.

For once, Nico slept dreamlessly. 

He was a bit confused when he woke up. It wasn't completely because of the lack of nightmares (cuddling with Will at their sleepovers had somehow worked wonders on those), but rather because something large and comfortably heavy was resting across his body. Still half-asleep and already in a good mood from his amazing rest, he burrowed deeper into the warmth. It surrounded him like the best heated blanket in the world.

Something soft brushed against his face. Scrunching up his nose, Nico sneezed quietly and found himself staring down at many large white feathers.

He blinked.

Slowly, he peeked out from under an enormous wing.

By the grace of the Fates, Cupid was still passed out. He had curled up in a rather ungodly ball next to Nico and somehow flung a wing over him in his sleep. On one hand, it was very warm and comfy. On the other, Nico's instincts decided it was time to bail before he either got a pissed off love god in the same flat as him or a flight feather up his nose.

Swallowing nervously, he pushed Cupid's wing off him, one inch at a time. He folded the appendage at the wrist and _very_ slowly, wriggled his way out to freedom.

Nico sighed in relief and stood up fully.

A snort came from the kitchen. He grimaced and looked over at a sniggering Psyche, accompanied by Anteros, Pothos and Himeros, the latter of which looking like he was trying to not choke on his coffee.

Nico made a face at them stomped up the stairs (quietly) and disappeared into his room to take a shower.

After he took care of that and ate a couple of energy bars for breakfast he headed back to the kitchen. The three Erotes and Psyche were hunched around a newspaper, muttering to themselves. Godly eyebrows were furrowed in concern.

Nico peeked over Psyche's shoulder and stiffened.

"Can I see that?" he asked tightly. Himeros passed it over, an uncharacteristic frown on his handsome face.

The paper's title read _Olympus Daily,_ and below that, an article named "Round Two for the Camps? Missing Heroes Wreak Havoc on Relationship Between Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter."

:Oh, well isn't that fantastic," Nico hissed. He dropped the paper on the table and scrubbed his face. "Instead of actually trying to work together they want to try and kick each other's asses. Figures."

Psyche patted his arm in sympathy. "Maybe it's time you dropped by to tell them to calm their tits."

"You know what? I think I will." Nico marched back over to the living room, grabbed a pillow, and hit Cupid as hard as he could with it.

Of course, the god just grumbled and rolled over.

"Cupid. Wake up. We gotta go yell at people."

"...Mm."

"Cupid."

"Mm."

Nico grabbed a wing and lifted it off the god, prompting Cupid to groan and slap at him.

"Come on, featherbutt. We have to go stop a war."

"I have a better idea. It involves sleeping the entire day."

"Very tempting. But seriously, a whole lot of people could get hurt if we don't try and placate the camps."

His irritation grew once Cupid yawned and rolled to his feet, still amazingly attractive despite his spiky black hair sticking up in every direction. Nico was pretty sure he looked like something out of that _Alien vs. Predator_ movie when he stumbled out of his room in the morning (or afternoon).

Stupid gods.

"For somebody who likes to bitch about how sleeping is 'completely useless to us immortals and a waste of time' you sure do love to sleep," Psyche said dryly as her husband shuffled purposefully to the coffee machine. "And also how you detest human food but drink coffee like it's the only thing keeping you from fading."

"I'm a hypocrite, darling. We've been over this."

Annoyingly, Cupid turned out to be one hell of a morning person. As soon as he looked over the newspaper he started coming up with a plan.

"You go to Camp Half-Blood and tell all your friends what's going on. I'll go to Camp Jupiter because they're more likely to listen to a god. From what I've experienced Greek demigods are a little bit more... haywire," Cupid explained.

"Thanks."

"But of course."

Nico frowned. "The thing is we have no idea what's going on."

"Psyche, love, what's that expression again? "Fake it until you make it'?"

The goddess gave him the thumbs-up. "You got it."

Cupid turned to Nico with a smile on his face. "Precisely. Just say that you have it under control, tell them whatever you need to tell them and then leave. Works for us gods all the time."

"Or summon dead people!" Pothos suggested.

"Or ask them nicely," Anteros countered thoughtfully.

"Maybe just give them the finger and shadow-travel away," said Himeros.

"Uh.." Nico began, but Cupid was already taking a flying leap out the kitchen window.

"Bro watch my plants-!" Psyche yelled after him.

There was the distinctive sound of a ceramic pot shattering on the balcony.

Psyche sighed. "Little shit."

<> 

He stumbled out of the shadows in Camp Half-Blood.

And just about smacked into Lou Ellen.

"Hey, watch where- NICO DI _FUCKING_ ANGELO."

To say chaos ensued would have been an understatement.

Cecil had to restrain Lou Ellen from starting a fight with him or anybody within twenty feet of her, and Austin and Kayla both yelled at him at the same time. Lacy threw her eyeliner pencil at his head and left a black smudge across his cheek. Sherman looked very cross, but much to Nico's surprise, didn't attempt to hand his ass to him on a silver platter. When Nico told him he needed to talk to Chiron he just nodded and followed the son of Hades to the Big House.

Chiron was reading some weird-looking scrolls when he barged in. The centaur looked up in surprise, and then delight.

"Nico! I don't know where you've been, boy, but I'm glad you're back. Are you alright?" Chiron began to look worried when he took in the demigod's disheveled appearance.

Nico inhaled. "I left camp and went into the city, ran into Eos, fought some Keres and was blinded, got rescued by Cupid and brought to Chicago where we figured out that we shared a dream about some mysterious cave with a bright light at the end. Psyche deducted that we are meant to share a quest- and she was right, I guess, and ever since then I've been running around the Unites States with the god of love alternatively beating things up or getting beaten up."

Chiron stared at him.

Nico sucked in another breath. "It's been a long week."

"I can imagine," the old centaur said, following a long pause. "Some nymphs were gossiping the other day about a god and a hero working together to defeat a great evil. Should have known they were talking about you and Lord Eros."

"Please tell me you guys have figured something out," Nico practically begged. "We have nothing and I can't find Will and-"

"Nico," Chiron said soothingly. "Sit down. Deep breaths."

Nico collapsed into a chair, resting his head against the table. The anxiety caught up with him again, leaving him shaky and dizzy.

"Rachel hasn't given a prophecy, and the heroes reached Delhi yesterday. They said there wasn't a whole lot to report."

"Then what-"

"Because we don't need a new prophecy. We've had one for nearly five thousand years." Chiron lifted one of his scrolls, revealing scratchy writing in the ancient fabric.

Nico raised his head. Scrawled across the scroll was something in Latin. Blinking several times to try and clear away the switching words, he made out several sentences. He straightened up in alarm.

_By the will of the Fates and the oldest gods_

_An immortal and a hero stand against all odds_

_To take back the morn's unlawful will to keep_

_To guide a tired goddess back to her sleep_

_For time's cruel march may take away all_

_The choice to fly, the choice to fall_

"I found it last night. It seems fitting, does it not?" Chiron asked.

Nico nodded, bewildered. "But if Cupid and I are the main focus of this prophecy, then why did Lou Ellen have the same dream as us?"

"That's what I would like to know." Nico almost jumped out of his skin as the daughter of Hecate stomped over to them. "Maybe I'm part of this as well!"

"Where'd you even come from?" he spluttered.

Chiron frowned at Lou Ellen. "I think I may have an idea what Lou Ellen's part may be in all of this. You remember the missing gods, right? Hebes, Theogonia, and Aether."

"Yeah?"

"Find your mother," Chiron said, looking like he was realizing something. "I can't explain it, but I feel like you might be the one to find the missing gods. Hecate has eyes everywhere. If anyone can get a better read into what's going on, she can."

Lou Ellen nodded, a grin spreading across her face. "See, di Angelo? You're not the only one who gets to run around after a god."

Nico rolled his eyes. "You have fun with that."

"Both of you have a lot of work to do." Chiron stepped out of his motorized chair, his head brushing the ceiling as he rose to his full height. "I need to go to Olympus and consult Dionysus. I'll explain to the other campers why you have both left."

Nico restrained himself from giving the dude a hug. "Thank you, Chiron. We won't let you down."

He and Lou Ellen left the Big House, trying not to call attention to themselves as they casually trotted to the Hecate cabin.

"First quest, right?" Nico asked. Lou nodded. "Okay, so bring more shirts than you think you need because you can use shirts for pretty much anything. Pack a water bottle, obviously. Bring a backup weapon like a small dagger. Don't bother with pajamas. And don't forget your birth control. Will likes to complain about how you forget to take it all the time."

Lou Ellen squawked in indignation. "That little-!"

"Lou."

She grunted. "Yes, Mother."

Nico punched her in the shoulder for that and walked her to the front steps. "I'll see you soon. Bring a couple of friends with you."

"Says you!"

"Yeah yeah. Bye, Lou."

"Huh."

"See you soon, you piece of shit."

They extended their middle fingers at each other in a sign of unbreakable friendship as Nico dropped into the shadows.


	11. Yeah, Lemme Have a Heart-to-Heart With The Dude Who Kicked My Ass

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico crash lands, talks about his feelings, and just wants to get some rest.

He braced himself for the stronger-than-ever chorus of tormented screams. He was not disappointed when he was immediately engulfed by the howling dead, scratching at him from all sides as they chased him through the dark.

_Come to us._

_Save us._

_Be us._

_Leave me alone!_ Nico wanted to cry. He shook them off and raced even faster through the world of the void. They roared in outrage and sorrow and chased him, but they were dead and he was still young and strong.

 _Leave me alone!_ he snarled once more, and then he was tumbling out of the abyss and into a grassy field.

Nico grunted as he smashed into a bush, getting burrs in places burrs weren't supposed to go. His head rang with a high-pitched noise. The world spun around him at an alarming rate.

He moaned and squeezed his eyes shut. Why his brain refused to stop rattling around in his skull was beyond him, but he needed it to stop.

This could have been somewhat of a nice day, but _no._ He just had to come flying out of nowhere at fifty miles a goddamn hour and crash into a _bush._

The rush of air over huge wings made him come back to reality. Blinking in alarm, he pushed himself to his elbows, only to flop back down as he became unbearably dizzy.

It was a familiar voice that spoke. "Good Heavens, child. Any god or monster within a ten-mile radius most likely just sensed you flopping out of the shadows like you did."

"Hi, Cupid," Nico grumbled. "Nice to see you too. How was your day?"

"My day was eventful and exciting, thank you. I was yelled at by your friend Jason Grace and then sassed by Percy Jackson. Because I knew it would upset you I did not vaporize either of them," the god explained as he sat down next to Nico. "But I did curse them both with migraines. That shall teach them a thing or two."

"Migraines? _Dude."_

"Your concern for your friends is understandable, but I have a reputation to uphold."

Nico shifted around so he wasn't piled in such an ungainly heap under the thicket. He knew not to try and get up after a shadow-travel accident that bad. Fortunately, he still had time before sunset and Cupid didn't seem to be in a hurry. As he gathered his bearings, he noticed the Chicago skyline, silhouetted sharply against the sunlight streaming through them. At least he wasn't too far off his mark.

Then he remembered something.

"Is it true you're the one that set me and Will up?" he asked.

"Mm? Yes, of course. I sensed a world a potential the moment you two met on that hill during the battle against the titans. I shot both of you in the heart and spurred it forward," said Cupid. He recounted the experience like a professor would describe one of his favorite students.

Nico looked away, feeling sick. It was true, then. Tears pricked at his eyes. "So that's all we are? Just the result of your magic? _That's_ what love is?"

His voice cracked in a very pathetic fashion. He couldn't even bring himself to look at the love god.

'Nico, dear child." He jumped a little in surprise when he felt the strong warmth of a wing envelop him. "My arrows only give a being the will to approach one they desire. Do they ignite lust when I want it to? Yes. But for my magic to truly work, there must already be love. And that part, no matter who the person, is _always_ up to them, not me. Not even my mother masters the power of emotion."

He blinked against the cold autumn air before wiping the tears from his eyes. Gathering his courage, he let himself be embraced. Cupid rested his head against his, humming some song that seemed to hint at things no mortal would ever understand. Not for the first time, Nico forced himself to really look at his unsteady partnership with the god, a relationship that was beginning to feel more solid by the day. Just last night he had admitted to himself it was almost like he could almost call Cupid a friend. Almost.

What did friends do for each other? Nico wracked his brain for how good friendships worked. He had attended a class on this, taught by a nymph who had them do trust falls and therefore was responsible for Nico almost cracking his skull open on a rock.

There was communication and respect. He could recall that much. Communication, respect... and trust.

Was he beginning to trust Cupid? The old resentment still burned in his stomach, untouched by any and all recent events, but Nico realized that when it came down to it, Cupid would have his back. And Nico had already proven to himself that he would help his supposed partner if need be, if not just out of the goodness of his soul.

"I can hear you thinking," the god said. "Don't burn out whatever brain cells you might have left after using the shadows for a sling-shot."

"You're hilarious, Cupid," Nico said dryly. He felt more than heard the god chuckle. "But I was just thinking about... how to trust people more."

"Really now? How do you trust people more, then?"

Nico sighed. "I don't know."

"No idea? None at all?"

He hesitated. "What..." He broke off with a cough. "What do you do when somebody- a... a friend- does something bad? Like, take for instance, they revealed something about you that you didn't want to be said, not until you were ready. And so they've said it, and people know about it, and now you're just scared and hurt and confused because something really important that was supposed to be yours was taken from you, in a really bad way."

Cupid considered that. Nico wondered if he could feel his fear.

"Goodness, that sounds like something quite serious. And possibly traumatizing, depending on the occasion," the god pondered.

"Yeah, traumatizing," Nico muttered.

"In my opinion whoever would do such a thing is toxic. If somebody does such horrible things to you, or makes you feel unsafe, then they are toxic. It matters not if they are a friend."

"What if you kinda... _have_ to be around them?"

"Hm... then I would suggest, sooner or later, that you confront them about the situation. Make sure you're somewhere safe, and let them know how they have hurt you," Cupid told him. "Psyche's a bit better with this kind of thing. But honestly, let them have it. And do not let them tell you that they have not hurt you. That it not up to them. It is up to you."

"... Okay," Nico finally said.

Cupid tilted his head, considering him. Nico decided to change the subject before he started to get suspicious.

"Thanks for looking out for me last night," he blurted out.

"No nightmares?"

"None."

Cupid just smiled and ruffled the boy's hair. "Let's get back to the flat before you freeze, shall we?"

<> 

That night Nico was back in hell, Eos' fingers wrapped around his shoulders, her hot breath in his ear. His view of Tartarus was the same, with the River Cocytus reaching hungrily for his feet.

"Back so soon?" she whispered. "Can't blame you."

Nico snarled. "What the hell is your deal?" Again, he tried to tear away from her, but her strength was as unyielding as Tartarus was. The goddess gripped tighter.

"Not so fast, son of Hades. I hope you've been thinking about my offer, son of Hades. It's not every day I'm so lax with the demigods I associate with," Eos said.

"Cupid beat the shit out of you once and I bet if I ask nicely he'll do it again," Nico spat. "To hell with your deal. You tried to... to-!"

"Oh, my sweet boy. That love god might have gotten the best of me that night, but he's no warrior. Once I get my hands on him I'll tear him apart... In more ways than one. Maybe even in front of that pretty little wife of his."

Rage made Nico's vision blur red. The ground shook, and Eos finally released him as she slipped through a crack in the rocky ground. She cried out in surprise as a black blade found its way to her throat.

Nico bent down so he could look her in the eye. "You will never hurt anyone again. _Never._ For every person you've hurt, it'll be one more minute of agony as I slowly rip your physical form apart."

Eos tore her way out of the ground, her eyes blazing like the heart of the sun itself. She lunged to her feet, towering over a shaking Nico. Her teeth seemed to grow steadily sharper, less human by the second. Smiling, she stared down at Nico with hungry eyes.

"Very well, son of Hades. Let the games begin."

<> 

A gasping cry tore Nico from his sleep for the second night in a row. He trembled violently, doing his best to banish the sensation of sharp nails digging into his skin. Nico slipped out of bed and made his way downstairs for a glass of water.

She was never going to let him be, was she? He was doomed to have her haunt his nightmares, a more than worthy successor to his frequent flashbacks to Tartarus. Except this time, it was personal.

He almost jumped out of his skin when he saw a familiar lean shape on the couch.

Cupid looked to be half asleep, dozing on his side like a particularly feathery cat, but when he saw Nico his amber eyes cleared.

"She came back, I presume."

Nico sipped his water before nodding. "Yeah. Loser's got no friends, I guess." His tone was light, but he still couldn't stop shaking.

_Godsdammit, Nico, you're fine now._

"What a shame." The god yawned. Nico hesitated, considering his options before he put his cup in the sink and shuffled over to the living room.

Cupid didn't even blink when Nico sat down with him.

_Alright, Nico. Time to suck it up. You've been through worse shit than this. You want to get some rest tonight? You better lay the hell down with the guy who traumatized you for life and go the hell to sleep. He's the only one that can keep Eos away. Cupid would rather beat her up than you, anyways._

"Can I..." he asked timidly.

Cupid shifted over to give him more room. Gathering all of his remaining willpower, he let himself lie down. He shut his eyes tight and focused on sleeping. Sleeping was good. The night was still young, and it was time to go the hell to sleep-

"Did Chiron have any sage words of advice for us weary travelers?"

Gods dammit.

"I mean, we do have a prophecy," Nico said.

"And you didn't tell me right away?" Cupid sounded distinctly unimpressed.

"I kinda had a mishap with shadow-travel. I decided to take an evening off."

The god growled. "An evening off indeed. Do tell."

Nico swallowed nervously and continued before Cupid could throw him out the window. _"By the will of the Fates and the oldest gods/ An immortal and a hero stand against all odds/ To take back the morn's unlawful will to keep/ To guide a tired goddess back to her sleep/ For time's cruel march may take away all/ The choice to fly, the choice to fall,"_ Nico repeated. "It sounds pretty relevant except for the last part. I have no clue what the last part is trying to tell me."

"We'll figure that out when we get there. That's what demigods do, yes?"

Nico couldn't help with smile. "You're getting the hang of this."

"Of course I am!" He scoffed and shifted so he was giving Nico a condescending glare. The boy squeaked in fear and tried his best to melt into the couch. Cupid's amber eyes briefly caught fire, and then he began to laugh, flopping back down in a not-so-godly way.

Nico was very confused, but he didn't move away.

"We'll find your friends, child," Cupid promised. "And after we find your friends we'll banish Eos to Tartarus and rid the world of her forever."

He nodded, his eyelids already starting to feel heavy. Distantly, he felt a blanket being tossed over him, warm and comfortable. Nico gave one last yawn and smushed himself as deep into the couch as he would go. The god resting beside him did the same, and smiled ever so slightly.

 


	12. Los Angeles, Man.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Psyche worries, Cupid suspects, Nico fears.  
> In order to take care of the Keres Nico must return to Los Angeles.

Cupid woke to a head of messy black hair resting against his and tickling his nose. 

He turned away and muffled a sneeze in the crook of his elbow. Nico di Angelo, unsurprisingly, was still asleep and gave no indication of changing that, even when Cupid disentangled himself from him. For such a tiny creature he sure had a good grip on his arm, the god thought.

He had no desire to leave the comfort of the sofa, so he settled for leaning back again and watching the dark sky slowly give way to dawn.

_Dawn._

He felt his mouth twist in distaste. He had spent a good portion of the night keeping Eos out of Nico's head, chasing her away from his dreams. It was completely doable work, of course, but after a while it did get taxing to keep the witch busy. He glanced back at Nico, who mumbled something in his sleep and clenched his fists. Cupid tilted his head, curious, when Nico kicked at nothing and spoke incoherently in Italian.

"I know not what you're dreaming of, but it must be interesting," he told him.

 _"_ _Ho gettato... le stronzate,"_ Nico said.

"Very interesting," Cupid commented. "What else?"

_"C_ _azzo."_

"Language, child."

Nico squirmed, and then dark eyes blinked open. Cupid smiled in amusement as the boy focused on him, still half-asleep, and then burrowed back under the covers.

"Good morning to you, too," he chuckled.

"Mmph." Nico stretched out as far as he could go before curling back up into a ball. "Mornin'."

"Glad you remembered your manners, child. I was doing some thinking last night as I was giving Eos' subconscious a good thrashing, and I was wondering if you are ready to go back to Los Angeles. Those _Keres_ still need to be taken care of."

Nico peeked out from underneath the blanket, eyes wide. "O-Oh. Oh. Right. Gotta go back to Los Angeles and... do that. Um. Mm-hm."

Cupid felt a prick of sympathy at the son of Hades' obvious nervousness. That by itself was interesting enough to make him take pause.

_Since when do I fuss over the feelings of some mortal child?_

"Eos won't dare show her face again so soon," he promised Nico. "Go get ready. We'll be there and back before you know it."

Nico nodded, silent, before getting up and heading upstairs. On his way, he passed Psyche, who ruffled his hair on her way down.

Warmth flooded Cupid as their eyes met. Five thousand years of being together, and even the simple pleasure of seeing each other in the morning had never gotten dull. Five thousand years of being hopelessly in love, an unbreakable duo as soulmates, the sweet autumn morning to his blazing summer day. She was his everything.

And he could not ask for better friends, the Erotes- his confidants, his brothers-in-arms. Where he would be without them, he had no clue.

No being, immortal or not, could possibly live a life as wonderful as his.

Psyche's strong arms wrapped around his torso. "You've got your thinking face on."

He smiled, bending down to kiss her hair. Cupid loved how tiny she was. "Nico and I are going to Los Angeles to take care of those _Keres._ Oh, and could you ask Himeros to take a message to my mother? There's this couple in Oregon I've had my eye on; they're bound to get together any day now and I want her to be there to see it."

"Los Angeles? No wonder I can feel his anxiety from all the way over here." His wife's dark brows furrowed. "Are you sure it's a good idea to bring him back so soon?"

"We must. We have to keep going."

Psyche looked uneasy, and he sighed. She had grown very fond of Nico over the last several days, Cupid knew. "He'll be alright, love. I'll look after him."

"I know. It's just that..." She shook her head. "His anxiety. I've never felt anything like it. It's almost constant. He's afraid of _something_ and I can't figure out what it is. It's driving me up the wall."

"Well, his friends are missing," he reasoned.

"It's not that."

That made him fall silent. Was Nico hiding something from him?

"And yeah, I'll tell Himeros to get his lazy ass out of Chicago." Psyche kissed him and grabbed a pillow, hurling it at said god as he thumped sleepily down the stairs. "Yo, dipshit! Today you actually have to go do something!"

Cupid pulled on a pair of jeans and a windbreaker, just in time for Nico to charge past him on the banister, looking determined. He smiled at his teammate's resilience. Together, they headed for the roof to fly to Los Angeles.

<> 

Of course, Nico complained about his flying the moment they landed by the Griffith Observatory. Cupid loved the place- Psyche insisted on dragging him here every year to look at the stars. She did love stargazing.

"Son of Hades, if you take issue with my style of flight so much, you could always take an airplane here," he suggested dryly. "Although ticket prices are atrocious this time of the year. Cursed mortal holidays."

"Zeus would blast me out of the sky the moment I stepped into the plane," Nico huffed, hopping down the walkway that led to the large patio that looked out over the city.

Cupid chuckled, enjoying the cool morning air and the lush pink sunrise. "You do have a point. Not to mention it's _dreadfully_ slow."

"Airplanes fly almost at the speed of _sound!_ That's not slow!"

They bickered about flying all the way down to the city. Los Angeles was already wide awake despite it being a Saturday morning, the ever-ticking bustle of humanity in full swing. It was addictive to the god- the sheer energy of life emanating from the city. It was like flying next to Apollo's chariot at midday.

As they ventured farther in, Cupid noticed Nico start to look behind him, shoulders stiff with unease. He shrunk closer to the god until they touched, making the son of Hades flinch in alarm.

"There's nothing to worry about, child," he promised. While he was looking forward to seeing Eos again so he might thrash her within an inch of fading, he didn't want the boy to be within fifty miles of said thrashing.

Nico nodded.

It didn't take long until they found a part of the city that had obviously seen better days. Cupid heard gunshots in the distance. Police sirens followed.

"Why would anybody want to live here?" he said distastefully. "There's no room for anything. Oh, and look! That building is completely falling apart. What a waste. It would make a lovely school."

"Many people don't have a choice, Cupid. They don't have the money and resources to move somewhere safer," Nico explained, sounding exasperated.

"Well... Can they not just work for it?"

"Sometimes it works out that way. Sometimes it doesn't. Humans tend to value money over their own kind, or they just... refuse to understand the circumstances others are put in from the moment they're born."

"How intolerant," he sniffed.

"Yeah," Nico muttered.

He shoved his hands into his pockets, eyeing a group of mortal thugs who were glaring his way. They did not look happy. They were all also probably armed, knowing humanity's love for weapons and violence.

"Uh oh," his companion muttered.

"What did you do."

"I may or may not have summoned some dead people on those guys when I was here earlier."

"Nico di _Angelo."_

"It was only a few dead people."

"Oh, for Heaven's sake."

Cupid barely had time to register that one of the thugs had lifted a gun from beneath his jacket before a deafening _BANG!_ rang out in the street.

He had deflected the bullet with a raised arm before the echo had faded from the air. Nico's dark eyes were wide, cast into shadow by the god's arm that had blocked his head from getting split open.

Cupid slowly turned to look at the humans. A kind of ugly rage built in his gut, slow but consuming. What just happened could _not_ have been real.

Several pairs of mortal eyes widened when they realized their shot had been blocked with nothing but his arm and quick reflexes.

Before he could obliterate the bastards off the face of the planet for daring hurt the boy, he felt a pair of arms wrap around his midsection and try and drag him away.

"Okaylet'sgo! Let's- Cupid!"

Cupid looked down at him in disbelief. "They tried to kill you, and you insist on sparing them?"

"Yes! Because I can't be responsible for any more deaths, okay?"

"What?"

"Just come on!"

Cupid's pride screamed at him to stay and destroy the gang, but for whatever reason he found himself sprinting after his teammate.

Nico was amazingly fast despite his tiny size, and covered several blocks in the blink of an eye before jumping a fence and leaping through the broken window of an abandoned factory. Cupid dove in after him. The son of Hades peeked out the window, and upon seeing that the gang was nowhere to be seen slumped down with a sigh of relief.

"Are you alright?" Cupid asked, concerned. Then he remembered what Nico had said less than a minute ago, about not being able to be responsible for more deaths.

Nico seemed to shrink in on himself a little. For the first time, the god saw how _old_ his eyes were- shattered and ancient, like the void of Chaos himself. If he didn't know any better, he could have assumed the child was as old as he was.

He sat down next to him. Nico looked like he was lost in thought, but then he turned to Cupid. "I did something really terrible once. There was this boy, Bryce Lawrence. He was a Roman who Octavian sent to get rid of me and my friend Reyna. He... was a really bad person. He was sadistic, and cruel, and he was taunting Reyna about being responsible for her father's death- she wasn't, of course, all she did was expel his _mania_ from the living world. But I just..." Nico shook his head, shivering ever so slightly. "I killed him, Cupid. I crushed the life out of him just by willing it, and then I sent whatever was left of him to the Fields of Punishment. I had no choice but to murder him to save my friends, I-" he broke off, spent.

Cupid could do nothing but reach out and bring the child into his arms. Nico tentatively hugged him back. They said nothing for a while, the only sounds being the wind through the trees and the faint wail of police sirens.

"I know not the entire story of your journey across the world to bring the Athena Parthenos to your camp. But I do know you are a good person, Nico. God's honor."

Nico smiled, even if his eyes still betrayed his fatigue. He ruffled the boy's thick black hair and smiled back. "And then the whole thing with Octavian himself during the battle... he wouldn't listen to me about the onagers-"

"I know. I was there, too."

He would have elaborated on how his teammate was a good human being (not that he was a good judge on what Good Human Beings were) but that's when the _Keres_ struck.

Cupid and Nico were on their feet in a millisecond, bow and sword drawn. The _Keres_ hissed as they forced him and the child against the wall.

He laughed and readied to shoot. "I've destroyed your sisters time and time again. There are only so many of you left. What makes you think you lot have a chance against us?"

The red masses swirled angrily.

"Who's ordering you around?" Cupid demanded, but even as he asked the question he realized, and swore. "Your mistress is Eos, is it not?"

Nico stiffened. "But why... This has to do with _Selene._ It has to."

One _Ker_ lunged for Nico's throat. He sliced it in half without a second thought. Its sisters snarled in rage.

"We've got to talk to Hyperion," Cupid said thoughtfully.

"We fought against him in the Second Titan War."

"Yes, and he's also Eos' father."

"Oh."

He shot another _Ker_ and dissipated it. "Take the three on the left. Then we're getting out of here."

Nico darted forward, a skinny streak of darkness, and destroyed one of the _Keres_ with a single blow. He dodged the other two, letting them run into each other. Cupid sent the other four into a wall with a swipe of his bow. They shivered and dissolved.

A pained shriek made him whip around and shoot at the last _Ker_ clawing Nico's arm. It faded as well, and Cupid caught him as he collapsed.

"This always happens," the boy moaned.

"Indeed it does." Cupid clucked disapprovingly. "My dear friend, you are quite a handful."


	13. Don't Trash Talk Anybody Featherbutt Is Even Remotely Fond Of

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cupid and Nico talk to Hyperion about his wayward daughter. Cupid gets a little defensive.

Nico spent the next couple of hours dozing on Cupid's arm as they took a bus from Los Angeles to Death Valley National Park. His own arm still hurt, but the scratches had scabbed over and he was too tired to care anymore.

That was an underestimate, really. Any sleep he had been getting had been fitful, plagued by the fear of Eos showing up even though he knew Cupid wouldn't let that happen. His anxiety had plateaued and worn him down to a fatigued mess of anxiety. No matter what he was thinking of, his worry for Will and his friends was always in the back of his mind, waiting to spring on him at the least convenient moment and make it even harder to think clearly. Despite having a prophecy, he still felt as lost as ever.

He was, simply put, done with the universe's bullshit.

Cupid made him drink some water and eat the granola bars Nico had shoved into his pockets that morning. He felt a little better after that.

"Hyperion returned from Tartarus only very recently," the god explained quietly. "I'm counting on him being in a good mood so that I may talk to him. You just stay close and look somewhat friendly."

Nico nodded against his arm and fell back asleep.

<> 

He woke to Cupid gently shaking him awake. Yawning, he all but tumbled out of the bus after the god and followed him down the sidewalk. It was hot and dry. The sun was way too bright for comfort.

Nico scowled. "So why does Hyperion like hanging out in California if he's the all-powerful Lord of the _East?"_

"Human-based direction is meaningless, child."

"But if human-based direction is meaningless, why is the patron titan of a human-based direction?" Nico asked.

Cupid paused and raised a brow. "You do have a point. Now, until we leave, do refrain from bad-mouthing our _friend_ in any way, shape, or form. He's vain, to say the least, and very prideful. The last thing we need is to make him angry."

"I thought you said he would be in a good mood?"

"I said that's what I'm _hoping_ for."

"Percy kicked his ass in the Second Titan War. I wouldn't be surprised if he saw me get off the bus and peed himself."

"A- _hem."_

Nico sighed. "Party pooper."

Sneaking into the park proved to be easy enough. Cupid just manipulated the Mist and they just walked right past security. He smiled charmingly at one officer, who went red in the face and almost fell on her rear end. A couple of fences, an incident with barbed wire, and Nico almost face-planting on a cactus later they were on their way into the desert.

The fresh air helped liven him up a little, and Nico trotted ahead, ignoring his panging arm. "Hey, Cupid?"

"Yes?"

"Does it ever get boring, doing the same thing for like, five thousand years?"

"The same thing?"

"Yeah. You're the god of love. You help people fall in love. Doesn't doing that over and over again get kind of... dull?"

Nico watched as Cupid tilted his head, curious. "Well, I suppose it's a bit complicated. To begin, gods are... living beings, of course, but not in the same way as you. Just as humans rely on nourishment to survive, we rely on faith and willpower. The more we are believed in and what we stand for is propagated in your society, the more powerful we become."

"Yeah."

"Our aspect, if you will, is our life force. You would never tire of breathing, right? I will never tire of being the god of love. It is who I am and it is what keeps me alive."

Nico digested that. "So as the meaning of something changes over time, what keeps you from fading?"

Cupid smiled. "Gods aren't completely inflexible. We do change."

Nico thought about the many differences between gods and mortals. He couldn't imagine being alive for so long- it would drive him crazy. His own fifteen years of life often felt like fifteen hundred, fifteen thousand. No wonder most gods were a little off their rockers.

"What were you like as a kid?" he asked.

"A pain in the ass."

"Why does that not surprise me."

They both started laughing, the serious mood dissipating in the sunlight. Nico squawked as he felt a large hand ruffle his hair.

The god grinned down at him. "Maybe what we can both think about is-"

"What I would like to think about is why you are associating with some mortal, Lord Eros."

Nico almost leapt out of his sneakers.

A guy in the brightest golden armor Nico had ever seen stood before them, taller than even Cupid. His eyes were the color of shining pennies, glaring out from his helmet that seemed to be made from the harsh desert sun itself. The guy was incredibly attractive, but in a rough, scalding sort of way, like Ares was. He felt his headache building just by looking at the massive titan.

Cupid stepped forward, arms open in welcome. "Lord Hyperion! What a privilege it is to meet again in more peaceful circumstances. Welcome back to the living world!"

The titan clasped the god's hand. "And what a relief that is. Come, walk with me." His blazing copper eyes locked on to Nico, narrowing with distaste. "What kind of misfortune led you to have this little shadow of a demigod?"

Nico glared back.

"Lord Hyperion, surely you remember Nico di Angelo, son of Hades. Believe it or not, for what may be the first time, a god and a hero are partaking on a quest together. We were hoping we could discuss your daughter Eos. Her motivations lately have been a tad... misguided," the love god said, resting a hand on Nico's shoulder. He got a look from him that said _Don't get smart with him if you want to get out of this alive._

The titan seemed to drop a little of his hostility. "Eos? Why, I haven't seen her in ages! Is she alright?"

Nico swallowed a little, uncomfortable, but Cupid spared him from having to talk.

"I'm afraid not, Lord. Over the centuries she's taken advantage of many people in the worst way. She's become a menace to gods and humankind alike. And now she has the Keres under her control in some plot to bring back Selene. Nico suspects this is entirely against Selene's wishes as well."

Hyperion's handsome face twisted in outrage. "Then she disgraces me as well as the rest of us immortals. I cannot believe... No, I can believe. Eos was always _..._ _intense."_

"Do you have any idea what would inspire her to do something like this?" Cupid pressed. "The lives of many demigods are at stake as well, for we believe she is involved with the disappearance of one hero from the house of every Olympian god with mortal children."

"If Eos hasn't changed much, and I suspect she hasn't, then I believe her plan is something along the lines of psychological warfare." Hyperion came to a halt. "Take one child from every Olympian... Yes. I believe that she is planning to blackmail them all into reviving Selene, may the Fates rest her soul. The existence of a god, titan, or monster depends mostly on the faith of humans, but there is another way to bring an immortal back, one that has faded."

"What is that?"

"When an immortal dies, their soul will dissolve into nothingness. And what is nothingness? The void. Chaos. And if the most powerful gods choose to focus all their power into briefly opening a tear into it, they can bring that soul back," Hyperion explained gravely. "But who knows what might happen should they do that? Chaos himself might force himself through that tear and rise from the abyss!"

Ice water shot up Nico's spine. Hyperion had to be wrong. There was no way Eos would try something that insane, even if she herself was more than a little unstable.

"I see your disbelief, demigod," Hyperion growled. "You know nothing of my daughter's rage, and I haven't seen her in quite some time. If what Eros said is the complete truth then I expect you to do whatever you can to stop her."

Nico nodded, mouth dry. "I-I will."

He got the feeling that if Cupid hadn't been there with him when they first approached Hyperion then he would have been killed on the spot. As far as he knew that was still up for debate.

He felt Cupid's hand squeeze his shoulder. "Lord, do you have any idea where Selene might have sent the rest of the demigods? We found three in total by chance, but none of the rest."

"I have none."

Nico suddenly remembered Lou Ellen's own quest and mentally smacked himself. "Cupid, we need to talk to Lou Ellen."

"Ah, yes, the daughter of Hecate! Perhaps her mother has some clues for us."

Hyperion glanced back and forth between him and Cupid. "I know not why the Fates decided to put you on a quest like some _mortal,_ but I do feel sorry for you, God of Love." He chuckled and patted the other immortal on the back.

"Yes, well, I've found this entire experience to be rather enlightening. I stand beside Nico with pride," Cupid said sharply.

Nico almost fell over, staring up at him in shock.

Hyperion's copper eyes glared down at the god. "Excuse me?"

"I made myself clear, Lord. I will tolerate no slander against my situation or against Nico di Angelo. And should I have to repeat myself you just might find yourself in bed with some giggling cactus nymph."

There was dead silence.

The two immortals glared at each other in dead silence. Hyperion's armor seemed to glint like shards of molten glass. Cupid's wings bristled, one shielding Nico protectively.

Hyperion apparently decided backing down was better than having his love life screwed over and looked away first. "Very well, Lord Eros. But keep one eye open. It would be a shame should anything truly terrible happen."

Cupid's amber eyes briefly flashed red. Nico thought he was about to start a fight there and then, but at last the god stepped down.

"Indeed. May the Fates look upon you with favor." Cupid dipped his head and strode off. "Come, Nico. We have work to do."

Nico scrambled after him. He didn't dare look back.

<> 

"No good, pretentious, bigoted-"

"Um... Cupid?"

"Flashy, arrogant son of a-"

"Cupid?"

"Mm?"

"You don't have to be mad."

The god growled in annoyance. "Probably not. But I must ask: is almost every immortal being heroes meet as intolerable as Hyperion?"

"Well... Usually. I mean, gods tend to look down on mortals whether they realize it or not, so yeah," Nico said.

"But he was especially irritating, right?" Cupid asked with a huff.

"Definitely."

"Good." The god paused and looked around the small Californian town they were in. Across the street, two street cats yowled angrily at each other. A tumbleweed blew by them like they were in a movie. "Bastard could have teleported us back to Chicago."

Nico snorted. "True. Maybe-"

A thousand needle of fire raced up his injured arm, and he gasped, clutching at it. Something warm seeped in between his fingers, and when he looked down blood was soaking through his jacket and running down his hand. His vision started to tilt.

"Damn Keres," he growled. 

Cupid was taken aback. "Child! That could be fatal!"

"What else is new," Nico groaned. "Come on, featherbutt, we're shadow-traveling back to Chicago. If we fly I'll pass out midair."


	14. Honey, The Kid's Dying Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico failing to take care of himself comes back around to bite him in the ass.

Once he bandaged himself up and promised Cupid he wasn't going to die anytime soon he headed down the block to find a payphone.

Nico was confounded on why the twenty-first century was so lacking in public phones. Like, even if everybody and their goldfish had a cell phone, what happens if somebody forgets theirs and they need to call home? Were regular people really so dependent on remembering to grab their mobile every morning before they go to work or school or whatever? That seemed a little hit-or-miss.

He had many of these conversations with Will about how the modern world worked. From the American school system to computers, the son of Apollo had done his best to spell out everything he had missed within the last eighty years. There had been many nights of him and his boyfriend curled up with each other, Nico wearing one of Will's hoodies, watching in amusement as the son of Apollo did his best to conquer the world of Pokémon. It had always given him ample time to drape himself all over Will, "To get a better view! Promise!" and kiss his jaw and mouth until he surrendered his attention to worthier subjects (read: Nico di Angelo).

Nico never told him he had played almost every Pokémon game ever in the Lotus Casino.

His chest hurt until it was almost impossible to breath. Swallowing hard, Nico forced himself to focus. There was no time for tears. He would see Will again, he told himself. He would save everyone if it took the rest of his life.

After fifteen minutes of walking he found what he was looking for. He shoved some quarters into the slot, picked up the phone, and dialed the number to Cecil's cell phone. A jangly ringing tone sounded in his ear.

A click sounded at the other end. _"_ _420, whatcha smokin'?"_

"Very funny, Cecil," Nico said. "How's everything?"

 _"_ _So far so good! Apparently, Hecate is chilling out somewhere in Florida so we get to soak up some sun and wring out some sweet intel while we're at it,"_ Cecil said cheerily. _"Some nymph I chatted up said something about Orlando, so that's where we'll start. We're in...Virginia? We jumped on a cargo train like five hours ago."_

"How can you be so relaxed about everything when we have literally no clue where our friends are!" Nico hissed. "You two better get your asses in gear and sneak on a jet or something before I come down there myself and shadow-dump the both of you right on some stupid Disney rollercoaster!"

 _"_ _First of all, don't diss Disney. Secondly, I'd rather have a clear head than be freaking out about it every second of my life and lose my temper at people I care about. Thirdly, I can't make this train go any faster than it already is, so shush up, buttercup,"_ Cecil said dryly.

Nico growled. "Fine. Sorry. But the moment you guys finish talking with Hecate I expect a five-page essay and a PowerPoint on it. Single-spaced."

 _"_ _Dude."_

"Uh-huh. Move your asses."

Nico hung up the phone and stomped back to the flat.

Psyche clucked her tongue in sympathy when he came sulking in through the door. "No luck, huh?"

"No. Hecate's in Florida, apparently, and they're not even out of Virginia yet. Which means we have nothing to do until they find her." Nico kicked his shoes off and flopped down on the sofa next to the goddess. "This quest was designed to kill me."

"Aw, bub." He felt her stroke his hair a little bit. "This might sound strange, but every day you carry on is a day never wasted."

Nico rolled over so he could look up at her. "What?"

"It means that not every day is meant to be full of revelations, or confrontations, or epic battles. Not every day should be spent going full speed. Sometimes, there are days that are made so that we may rest and prepare for the moments that we need it for."

With a small jolt, he realized she was right.

"You gods and your wisdom. Why are you always right?" he complained. Psyche laughed and gave him a hug.

"It's what being a god is all about, dear child." Cupid passed by the sofa before joining them, sitting on Psyche's other side. "You're a god, you're always right."

"Sound logic," Nico grumbled.

"Any news from that daughter of Hecate?"

"Nope. Hecate's in Florida, Cecil and Lou Ellen on their way, and so we get to do a whole lot of nothing until they find and talk to her."

The god smiled and rose from his seat, dragging Psyche along with him. "Who says we have to do nothing? Come on."

Nico blinked in confusion. "Where are we going?"

"The beach."

"But... it's cold."

"We're not swimming."

Nico stared after him, shrugged to himself, and went to go find his shoes.

<> 

Lake Michigan was a few miles from the apartment.

As they walked down to the sand the first snow of the year began, gently dusting Nico's face with little icy kisses. In the distance, the shapes of skyscrapers were blurred, hazed out by the low-laying clouds and storm.

Nico followed Cupid and Psyche down the shore. Psyche seemed to have no regard for the icy water and happily stomped around in the shallows.

She grinned at Nico, pointing to her rain boots. "Power Rangers, my dude."

Nico decided to join her and kicked off his shoes. He immediately regretted it when the lake washed up over his feet, making him gasp.

"Get out of there before you get hypothermia," Cupid scolded. Nico hopped out and yanked his shoes back, teeth chattering furiously.

"Why are we here?" he asked.

"Watch." Psyche pointed into the distance. When Nico focused on the water, he realized something- _many_ somethings were swimming below the surface. He instinctively reached for his sword, but Cupid gently pushed his hand away.

Nico watched in fascination as a _seal_ of all things leapt in a shimmering arc through the air, sleek and silver, before diving back into the water.

"That was-"

"A selkie," said Cupid. "There must be stirrings in the Celtic world."

"The Celtic world? What..." Nico stared up at the god in shock. "You mean-?"

"Is this really so surprising? The Greek and Roman pantheons are real. Why wouldn't the others be as well?"

The son of Hades felt strangely distant from the world, impossibly small and insignificant against everything else that was real. He blinked several times.

"Amazing how one's viewpoint never stops growing, does it? Watching you mortals learn never ceases to be entertaining." Cupid sounded pleased with himself.

"But... how do you all get along?" he asked feebly.

Both gods laughed, sharing a look. Nico looked back and forth between them, confused and slightly irritated about having wet socks. He just couldn't understand how hundreds and hundreds of different mythologies and religions could possibly coexist on one planet. It just didn't seem possible. Despite his protests Cupid nudged him along, chuckling. Nico realized the gods weren't about to give up their secrets so easily. They had come to understand each other more over the course of the week, but he knew that there were some things he wasn't meant to understand as a mortal.

They went to a museum next. Cupid and Psyche spoke of their time in both Ancient Greece and Rome, flickering every so subtly between their two forms every now and then. Unlike the exhausting stretch of time when Gaea was wreaking havoc on the world, their form-shifting was painless and quick. Nico listened attentively, awed at how well they remembered events from over four-thousand years ago.

One of the museum guards overheard and was extremely impressed with how well the gods accurately described Ancient Greece.

"History major?" he asked.

"Yes sir." Cupid met Nico's eyes and smirked.

"Double major in psychology," Psyche added, ribbing her husband. Nico looked away to hide his laughing.

"Wow! You must really know how to study," the guard said, nodding.

"Oh, you know. _Kahoot."_ Psyche grinned, tipped her snapback in salute and waltzed off to check out a painting of even more naked people. Cupid and Nico ambled after her.

After the museum they went back to the flat.

They were two blocks away when Nico's injured arm flared up, making him gasp. Right away he knew he was in deep doo-doo, especially when both gods rounded on him with narrowed eyes.

"I sensed something was sapping your strength," Psyche grumbled as he leaned on her for support. "Shit on a stick, kid, speak up when you're injured."

"If you knew he was hurt why didn't you tell me?" Cupid hissed.

"I thought he just had a cold! Don't start bitching on me because your kid's an idiot."

 _"_ _My_ kid? You're the one who's been feeding him!"

"You're the one who dragged his ass to the flat in the first place!"

Nico was getting a headache from the gods squabbling like a pair of overprotective parents, but multicolored spots danced before his eyes whenever he so much as took a step, so he kept his mouth shut.

It took Psyche yanking him up several flights of stairs (since a kid who looked like he was dying was bound to draw some attention from mortals no matter what the Mist did), some bribing, and several death threats on Cupid's behalf to get him to a couch in the flat.

When Nico finally yanked his jacket off he groaned in dismay. The wounds were weeping pus and smelled sickly sweet. He had thought he had done a good job of cleaning it up, but it seemed that soap and water didn't do a whole lot against the demons of disease. The whole length of his forearm looked sallow and bruised.

"Let me see," Cupid ordered. Nico flinched at his tone but raised his arm. The god examined it with narrowed eyes, and tapped it with a finger. Nico cried out.

"You're alright, you're alright. We can heal this," he promised. "Psyche, I need your strength."

The goddess knelt by them. She squeezed Nico's hand reassuringly and joined the other with Cupid's, forming a kind of circle. It reminded him painfully of the ones the Apollo cabin would do whenever they conducted a healing.

 _Will._ He had to get through this for him. Despite knowing his mind was slipping into a haze brought on by fever he latched on to the thought of his boyfriend. Will would scold him for not taking better care of himself, of course, but after those arguments the son of Apollo would always return with snacks and kisses.

Oh, he loved that boy with everything in his scarred heart.

Tears pricked at his eyes, brought on both by the pain in his arm and in his heart, but at last the gods finished their repairing of the muscle and skin.

Nico stared up at the ceiling and blacked out.

 


	15. Reyna and the Ultimate Pogo Stick, Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to face the music.

When the dreams came Eos stayed away, thankfully, but he was back in the cave again. Reddish-gray stone lined the walls and ground, giving the illusion that everything had been stained with blood. It didn't help whenever the water ran down from the stalactites and wet the rock so that it looks like a fresh wound. And, of course, he stood facing a tunnel, with a light at the end of it.

Nico wondered if it was some stupid metaphor.

He glanced back at the moonlit chamber and stalked down the tunnel. The further he went the less fresh the air became. The clean light that had made the cave glow became dimmer and dimmer, the glowing in the distance doing nothing to help Nico figure out where he was going. If anything, it got darker with each step.

Something was off.

His heart pounding in his chest, he broke into a run, stumbling every few feet by cracks and rocks that hadn't been there before. This cave, he had been here before. But where was all that light coming from?

A strange scent hit his nose, and Nico paused. For the hundredth time in two days, a bad feeling rose up in his gut.

It almost smelled like-

Before he could put his frazzled thoughts together his dream changed.

Hades sat before him on his throne, looking very unhappy. Black eyebrows were raised so high into the god's forehead Nico became concerned they were going to fly off his face. Wouldn't be the weirdest thing that happened whenever they spoke.

"Uh... hi Dad. Long time no see?" Nico offered.

The Lord of the Dead reached up to rub his temples. "Son, when I said I wanted you to have a different fate than the rest of my children, I did not mean I wanted you to run off with the Erotes on a suicide mission."

"I kind of didn't have a choice."

"Word gets around very quickly in the world of immortals. I hope you didn't plan to get away with not speaking to me about matters this large."

Nico shoved his hands in his pockets. "It's a _quest._ It's not like I've never done this kind of thing before."

"Except for the fact that for the first time, a god and a hero must handle a prophecy together. You and Eros, who I know you are not especially fond of," Hades pointed out. "Not to mention what the implications of this whole ordeal means. Gods and mortals were never meant to be this close."

Nico swallowed, feeling a little uncomfortable. "Eros has been... pretty cool, actually? He only tried to kill me a couple of times. But I tried to kill him too, so..."

Hades looked to the ceiling of the palace like it contained all of life's answers. "Well, thank goodness for that. But what I'm trying to say is to keep your distance. You cannot trust that love god any more than you can trust Eos."

That statement hit Nico in the stomach like a bowling ball. "Don't compare him to _Eos!_ Eros _saved_ me from her when she tried to take advantage of me, and then after he made sure I was okay, and then kept her away when she tried to walk in my dreams! I bet he's doing it right now!"

His father frowned. "Take advantage?"

Nico decided that he would rather take a flying leap into Tartarus than have that conversation with his father right now. "Well, what I'm trying to say is that maybe it's time things change. You say that gods and mortals aren't meant to have close relationships. I think a lot of people would agree with me if I said that simply acknowledging our existence every now and then isn't cutting the cake."

"Watch your tone, son."

"Yes, Lord," Nico said through gritted teeth. He sent a quick prayer to Psyche to help him keep his temper in check.

Hades looked down at him, silent and unreadable. "When your friends tell you about what Hecate has seen, you must return to San Francisco to speak with that son of Jupiter... Jerry Face?"

"My point exactly," Nico muttered his breath. Then, louder, "Jason Grace. And thanks, we will."

"Be careful," was all his dad told him. He waved his hand, and Nico woke.

<> 

He felt great when he woke up.

As great as a victim of the Black Plague.

Nico shifted, groaning softly. Other than his pounding head and of course, his arm, he was warm and comfortable. The familiar texture of the cushion beneath his fingers told him he was on the couch in the Erotes' flat, the one he had been more or less living on since this whole joyride began. Was it a thing to give people gifts if they let you live on their couch? Maybe he should bake a casserole for Psyche or something when this was all over.

It said a lot about how his life was going when he caught the scent of feathers and summer and immediately knew who it was.

He rolled over and managed to unglue his eyelids. "How long was I out?"

Cupid just about fell off the couch. "You're awake! Oh, Heavens above, I thought you had _died_ when you blacked out, and I was so s- I _mean."_ He flipped Nico over and pinned him down with a giant wing. Nico squeaked in terror at his furious expression.

"Don't _ever_ do that to me again! Do you have any idea how worried I was? What would I have told your friends if you had died, hm?! In the future, _Nico di Angelo,_ if you are injured, I expect you to bring it to my attention and quit acting like a-"

Cupid called him several things Psyche probably would have smacked him upside the head for if she heard him. Nico tried to remain as still as possible while his quest-mate ranted about how Hades would have wiped him from existence if he learned his son had died under the love god's watch, insulted his general intelligence, and called into question how Nico had even survived this long on his own. Then he sat back and glared down at him.

Nico swallowed, not meeting the god's piercing stare.

"Well?"

"Um... sorry?"

Cupid scrubbed his face with his hands. "What am I going to do with you."

"Why do you care so much? You don't have to," he blurted out.

"That is not how that works," Cupid said quietly and gently, like he was explaining something completely foreign. He sighed. "Perhaps you do not understand because you are not a father."

That took Nico completely off guard. "What?"

They were interrupted by Hermaphrodite and Psyche banging in through the door, followed by the rest of the Erotes and Favonius.

"It's bad! It's really bad!" Himeros was squawking.

"Houston, we have a problem!" Psyche yelled, running upstairs and then back down. She tossed Nico's sword to him. 

"Somebody fly out to Camp Half-Blood and talk to Chiron-"

"-Hymen, get to Camp Jupiter as quickly as possible. If you must kick ass, kick ass."

"I'm not going! Somebody else go!"

Favonius bounded over to them, russet-and-gold wings fluffed out. "Some Roman demigods attacked Camp Half-Blood. Nobody died but a lot of kids got hurt and everybody is seriously pissed off."

Nico sprung to his feet, rage boiling in his stomach. _"_ _What?"_

"Old supporters of whatshisface- Octavian? They're trying to convince everybody that the Greeks are conspiring with... somebody. I dunno," Favonius explained.

"Sons of-" he threw his hands in the air. "Alright. Favonius, remember that windy thing you did in Croatia?"

The wind god perked up. "I can do the windy thing."

"I'm gonna need you to do the windy thing. Just like, drop me off." Nico fastened his sword to his belt. "I got this. I got this. Woo."

"I'm coming with you," Cupid insisted.

"Nononono! Bad idea." Nico waved his hands desperately. "Look, if you drop out of nowhere with your godly self you're gonna scare the crap out of people. I'll talk to them first and try and get everybody to calm down."

"But if they don't calm down I am 'dropping in' whether you like it or not." Cupid crossed his arms and looked down at him.

Nico knew he it was a hopeless cause to try and persuade him otherwise. "Okay. But only if nothing else works!"

"Yes, yes," The god huffed.

Favonius held out his hand. Nico grabbed it, and the last thing he heard before they dissolved into wind was the Erotes wishing him luck.

<> 

They raced over cities and rivers, forests and farms, neighborhoods and fields. It all blurred together in a distant smear, even as there was no clear divide between himself and the rest of the world. Faster and faster they went until Nico could hardly take it.

Favonius dragged him in a downwards spiral over New Rome, slowed just before he hit the ground, and then plopped Nico down on his butt.

When his body reformed he realized that one) he had been deposited neatly in the middle of a pavilion between two groups of yelling demigods and two) Reyna was standing on a table holding a pogo stick and three) he should probably explain himself before everybody freaked out even more.

Nico jumped to his feet and held out his hands. _"_ _HOLD IT!"_

If there was an upside to being flung across the country as a breeze, it was that you could always count on making an entrance, he thought as everybody leapt a collective foot into the air. The last echo of the yelling faded and left the pavilion in dead silence.

The only person that didn't seem fazed was Reyna. "Nico! Glad to see you're still among the living. Word's been around you've been on a quest?"

"Hi, Reyna," he said sheepishly. "Yeah, sorry for dropping off the grid like that."

A barrage of questions was thrown at him from both sides of the assembled heroes. Nico stomped his foot and split the ground open, effectively shutting them up.

"If you have a question, raise your hand like a civilized person. If you can't do that then leave," he snapped. "Reyna, did you have anything to say before I showed up?"

"I did, actually. Any and all supporters of Octavian that insist on an attack on Camp Half-Blood, I hope that your arrogance and disobedience has been satisfying." Reyna's glare could have cut steel as she glared down at the crowd. "The Greeks are not responsible for the disappearances of our soldiers, and that is final. There is no evidence to suggest otherwise. Now is a time for working together, not tearing apart what we have worked so hard to build as one."

Nico leapt up next to her. "Why are you holding a pogo stick?" he muttered.

"I was going to beat some people with it."

"Oh. Anyways!" he said, much louder. "You all know about the _Keres._ They are serving Eos, the titan goddess of the dawn, who hopes to blackmail the Olympians into reviving her faded sister, Selene. She wants to use the disappearances of Greek and Roman campers to do that. I've already found a couple. I believe that if we search any possible openings to Tartarus we will find more."

"Openings to Tartarus?" somebody called. "Isn't that, uh, dangerous?"

"No shit," Nico replied. "Just don't fall in."

A brunette raised her hand. "What do we do about Eos? Should we try and find her, too?"

 _"_ _No!"_ Nico all but yelped. "No. She's incredibly dangerous. She'll act sweet to try and sway you over to her side, but all she wants is more blackmail material to use against the gods. Whatever you do, do _not_ engage."

Reluctant muttering from the crowd.

"So where have you been, if you didn't disappear? As one of the strongest heroes we have we kinda want to know what you've been doing," some guy yelled.

Nico opened his mouth, ready to respond, but was interrupted by Jason Grace and Frank Zhang barreling through the doors.

"Reyna, Annabeth isn't going to wait much- _Nico?!"_

Nico sighed. "Hi, Jason."

"Dude, what the hell?" the son of Jupiter threw his hands in the air. "I get kidnapped, brought back, you're missing, and nobody knows where you went off to, and then frickin' _Cupid_ shows up and says something about a prophecy, curses me and Percy with migraines, and then fucks off to who knows where!"

"Uh, yeah, about that," Nico began. "You got the prophecy down, right?" He leapt down from the table, wondering if he could get Jason, Frank, and Reyna alone so he could talk to them in private.

"I did," Frank offered.

"Thank you, Frank. You know the part where it says, 'An immortal and a hero stand against all odds?'"

"Yeah?" Jason said, brows knitted.

"This is stupid!" some Roman yelled. He shouldered his way from the crowd, looking more pissed off than the _Keres_ ever could. "I say we attack the Greeks anyways! Maybe Eos will give us our soldiers back if we do."

"Dennis, you can leave. We don't have time for your fear-mongering," Reyna snapped.

The Roman called Dennis bared his teeth in rage and turned away, but just as Nico thought he was going to leave, he whipped around and flung something through the air- _several_ somethings.

Almost in slow motion, Nico watched dazedly as the knives spun towards him, glinting Imperial gold in the California sunshine. Offhandedly, he berated himself for not sleeping better and eating more. He'd be able to deflect those if he was stronger.

 _This is what you get for being a depressed loser, di Angelo,_ he told himself.

 


	16. Reyna and the Ultimate Pogo Stick, Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lou Ellen tells Nico where their friends might be, and he is not happy.

Just as he raised his arms to defend himself from the attack a lean figure blurred in front of him, one massive wing raised to deflect the blades. A loud cracking split the air as the metal shattered into sharp little pieces. They fell and clattered against the concrete. Somebody screamed.

Nico lowered his hands, staring in astonishment as Cupid lowered the wing that had deflected the knives. The god drew himself up to his full height, white feathers shining like the edges of swords. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Reyna's eyes blow wide.

Romans and Greeks alike knelt, many of them trembling.

Jason did the same, even as shock gave way to obvious anger. Frank crouched beside him and looked like he was having difficulty not pissing himself.

"I expected more than this," Cupid said, voice powerful and commanding. "Friends and family alike all at stake, and yet some still insist on petty quarrelling."

He turned and zeroed in on Dennis. The color had completely gone from the guy's face. He reminded Nico of a ghost with a shirt that was a little too small for him. Cupid's eyes glowed red.

Nico realized that the love god was either going to turn the guy into a pigeon or kill him. Quickly, he grabbed Cupid's forearm, giving him a look. Cupid looked back at him, gave an exasperated sigh, and backed down.

Jason stared at Nico with an expression that clearly stated _What the hell?_

Meanwhile, Dennis fainted.

"Rise." Slowly, the campers got to their feet, still wide-eyed with terror.

Cupid looked to Reyna. "I spoke to some of Iris' nymphs before I came, and they have found two possible locations of your campers in Seattle and San Diego. I'd advise assembling a couple of rescue teams as fast as possible."

Reyna blinked before glaring down at her campers. "You heard Lord Cupid! Frank, pick a few campers who actually have their heads on their shoulders and not up their asses and get them on the road!"

Frank saluted and dispersed the crowd, shouting for a few kids to follow him. Reyna jumped down from her table and strode over to Nico.

"If you scare me like that again I'll throw you in the river," she told him.

"I had a similar conversation with him earlier," Cupid huffed.

Reyna smiled briefly at Nico's offended glare, but it dropped quickly when she looked over his shoulder. "I think Jason wants a word with you."

"Oh boy," he muttered. "Cupid, try not to kill anybody for fifteen minutes."

"I'll do my best."

Nico trudged over to Jason, who was waiting for him with crossed arms. Without a word, Jason led him down the hill, away from anybody that might hear them. In the distance he two teams of demigods hike up the rise to the camp entrance.

"So what happened to you when you vanished? Are you okay?" Nico asked.

"I'm fine. I mean, I don't remember anything, but what else is new." Jason's blue eyes narrowed as he turned to the smaller boy, dark with concern and sadness. "The real question is are _you_ okay? I mean, holy _crap,_ Nico! You're stuck with... with _him?"_

"Jason," he said, but the son of Jupiter wasn't finished.

"I swear to all of the gods, if he's hurt you I'll find a way to make him pay. What that asshole did in Croatia- just, what in Hades. Where have you even _been?_ He's not being a jerk to you, is he-?"

 _"_ _Jason,"_ Nico repeated. "Jason, I'm _fine._ I've been in Chicago with the Erotes. We've been working from there, fighting the Keres and figuring out what to do about Eos."

Talking about the goddess was still hard, but Nico forged on. "Like I said earlier. _'_ _An immortal and a hero stand against all odds'._ That's me and Cupid. It's up to us to lead this whole festival of crap and stop her."

"I just can't believe you have to do this. Like, why _him?_ Why a god at all?" Jason kicked a pebble and sent it flying down the sidewalk. He looked tired, tense, like he hadn't been sleeping well. Nico knew the feeling.

"I don't know," Nico admitted. "But it's honestly not been so bad. Cupid's actually... well, he's not always a joy to be around, but he's..." He thought about the god saving him from the Keres, letting him stay with his family of winged deities, rescuing him from Eos, comforting him over and over again, curling up with him at night to keep the titan goddess away from his dreams. He had been willing to learn what it was like to be a mortal hero- at least, after some persuasion. He had assured Nico that they would stop at nothing to find Will and was still making good on his promise. Cupid had been there for him through it all.

Nico felt strangely fragile. "He's my friend."

Jason stared at him in utter disbelief. "Dude, _what?_ What about Split? Nico, he beat the shit out of you, he _outed_ you, he scarred you for _life_ both physically and mentally. He can't be your friend!"

"I know it's weird, I know," Nico snapped, scrubbing his temples with his hands. "I'm going to talk about it to him sometime, okay? But he's _been_ there for me. He's helped me through a whole lot more than I can explain to you right now. And if I'm going to save Will and the others I'm going to need all the firepower I can get."

His friend stared at him, a world of unhappiness in his blue eyes. "I just don't want him hurting you even more."

"Cupid won't hurt me," Nico promised. _At least not intentionally. I hope._

Jason's smile was still strained, but he threw an arm around Nico's shoulders as they walked back to the pavilion, silently offering all the support he could in the way the son of Jupiter often did. Nico sighed, leaning against his friend.

Blessedly, Cupid had not murdered anybody when they got back. He was, however, talking merrily with Reyna, who looked like she'd rather be literally anywhere else on the planet. When she saw Nico she almost fell over in relief and gave him a look like, _You really left me alone with this feathery shit?_

Nico smiled sheepishly and ribbed her. "Thanks for babysitting."

"Excuse me?" Cupid spluttered. He smacked Nico upside the head, which only made the son of Hades snort.

Dennis stirred from the ground, groaning. Reyna looked down at him with disgust and threw her pogo stick at his head. It knocked him back out quite effectively. 

Jason looked up at the god of love, trying and failing to disguise his uncertainty. "Uh, good luck out there. Nico, don't die."

"I'm not gonna die," Nico promised.

"Keep running off to attack everything, child, and I won't prevent that from happening," Cupid sighed. The son of Hades gave Nico a look, even as he waved goodbye to Reyna and Jason. The two Romans stared after him with a mixture of worry and apprehension on their eyes. To the son of Hades, it almost looked like they wanted to tell him goodbye.

<> 

His mood lightened as they left Camp Jupiter. Winter didn't really come to California, and it showed in the barely-warm breeze and shining sun peeking through the low-laying clouds,

distant but still there. Gulls spiraled above them lazily. He and Cupid headed along some sidewalk that separated the city from the beach. Apart from a few joggers and people walking their dogs they had the shoreline to themselves.

"Alright, I gotta try and Iris-message Lou Ellen," Nico said determinedly, trotting out into the sand. He fished a drachma out of his pocket and bit his lip. The sea mist would be enough to support a rainbow, but it wasn't nearly sunny enough to make one.

A brilliant light made Nico turn in surprise. Cupid was holding out one hand, and from it came brilliant spirals of white light, not quite fire and not quite sunshine.

The god grinned. "Taught myself a trick a while back."

"Thanks, Cupid." Nico turned and tossed the drachma into the misty light. "Oh Iris, goddess of the rainbow, please accept my offering. Show me Lou Ellen in Orlando."

The air blurred, and the image of a brown-haired girl appeared in midair.

"Lou!" Nico called.

The daughter of Hecate blinked and turned to face him before lighting up with a giant smile. " _Nico! You're still alive!"_

"Somehow."

" _Dude, Cecil and I fought like five hydras on the way here! And then Hecate was at Disney World, and we had to sneak in and we almost got caught, so I ended up slapping some old white guy to get away. Then we went on Thunder Mountain. Hecate was in one of the Thunder Mountain caves. I still don't know why,"_ Lou Ellen explained.

"Wow."

 _"I_ _know. But yeah. Hecate says our friends are in the Labyrinth."_

"Our friends are in the _what?"_ Nico yelled, throwing his hands up. "Great son of a frickin' hydra and a harpy. Of course. Why not?"

 _"S_ _ave your bitch fit for later! If you hurry, there's an entrance in the Griffith Observatory."_

Nico swore. "Hera's bra strap. Let's go, Cupid!"

 _"_ _What, who-"_

He waved his hand through the Iris message and took off running with the god. As soon as they hit the shadows of the trees he plunged them both into the shadows, leaving nothing behind but their footprints.

<> 

They re-appeared by a very large model of the Solar System. Nico looked around, trying to sense where the entrance was, but Cupid gestured for the son of Hades to follow him. Together, they took off in a sprint down the hallways. Again and again they turned corners and darted through large display rooms. Because it was a weekday, it was thankfully not too crowded, but he was still aware of several eyes on him as he chased after the god.

Cupid bounded up a flight of stairs. "Up here!"

Nico all but scrambled up after him, cursing his shorter legs. He slowed as the god came to a halt before a storage closet. Cautiously, he twisted the handle and pulled it open. Amber eyes widened a little.

The son of Hades peered around him. His heart pounded in his chest. He had spent over a year in those tunnels, having no company except those of monsters and the ghosts who had tutored him in the ways of the Underworld. Childish innocence had given way to fierce rage, then terrible grief, and then at last, depression. The little Italian boy who loved unconditionally and enthusiastically had met his end in the darkness. And from that darkness, the Ghost King was born.

Nico would remember what it was like to be severely depressed for the rest of his life- trapped at the bottom of an ocean, seeing the sunlight so far up above but unable to reach for or feel it.

For a moment his courage failed him, and he backed away.

Then he met Cupid's eyes. The god looked down at him in confusion. "Come, child. Your friends depend on us."

 _He's right._ Nico swallowed.

Forcing down his terror, he took a deep breath and followed Cupid into the Labyrinth.


	17. If You Or A Loved One Has Suffered From Carbon Monoxide Poisoning...

Nico had a good sense of direction underground. He could navigate a cave like nobody's business, kick monster ass, and then run them out of their own dens like a fox. Back at Camp Half-Blood he had won several hunting games for his team by flushing out giant scorpions and the like.

Being a son of Hades did have its perks. 

Sadly, the Labyrinth didn't give a crap about who's kid he was or what powers he had. Three minutes into the dark tunnels and he and Cupid were very, very lost.

"Surely we just came from that- oh, no we didn't. I swear that pipe was there a second ago!" Cupid said in disbelief. "How did Theseus manage this nonsense?"

"A string? I dunno."

"How will we find our way out? Do you even know where we're going?" Cupid demanded, wings spiking. Nico kept the god in his peripheral vision, anxiety kicking up again from Cupid's anger.

"Dude. I lived down here for over a year not too long ago. The more you try and find your way around, the more the Labyrinth will mess with you. The trick is to just let it take you to wherever," Nico explained.

 _"_ _Just let it take you wherever,"_ Cupid muttered under his breath.

Nico looked up at him and raised a brow. "You seemed pretty eager to get going."

"Yes, well. I never knew this place would be so... unsettling."

Just as he finished his sentence, a long, echoing groan echoed up the tunnel they were in, like the breath of a dying beast or a collapsing metal structure. A blast of cold air hit them like a blow. Cupid's wings flared in alarm.

Nico sighed and tugged him along.

The cold, shadowy tunnels eventually opened up into well-lit corridor, tiled with marble and alabaster like a museum. There were windows, but when Nico peered through them there was nothing but pitch black. He didn't know what was beyond the glass, and he definitely didn't want to find out.

The museum eventually gave way to empty hallways. Lining each wall were lockers, dull and dusty from neglect. The tiled floor was cracked and stained in several places.

"Are we in a school?" Cupid asked. "Why would the Labyrinth take us here?"

Nico shook his head. "This isn't a school. It's a factory of some kind- the workers would put their stuff in the lockers."

He looked around the corner and realized that the workers were still there. Well, kind of.

Thirty or so people laid sprawled out on the ground. There was no blood, nothing to suggest the possibility of any kind of slaughter. But they were dead, and Nico drew his sword, readying himself for whatever had happened to the factory employees.

Cupid turned the corner and gasped, jumping back.

Nico took a couple steps forward. The skin on their hands and faces was red, and he sensed that they had died painlessly.

"Carbon monoxide poisoning," he said. "There must have been an accident."

"It wasn't an accident," a voice down the hallway said. Nico whipped around to see a black-haired woman striding towards them. She wore a black leather jacket and jeans, and a tattoo of thorns spiraled above her collarbones, making the message very clear: _Don't mess with me._

The lady looked past Nico at the dead workers and sighed, shaking her head.

"Lady Eris," Cupid said coldly. "Taken to hanging out in the Labyrinth, I see. It suits you."

Eris sneered. "Don't get smart with me, flyboy. I thought you of all gods would understand having to stoop a little lower than usual at the moment."

"Perhaps. But it is interesting to see the goddess of anger and strife at a scene like this."

"Do you know what happened here?" Nico demanded. But even as he asked, he knew what the answer would be.

"Of course. The boss man staged a 'tragic accident' to collect insurance. Divorced fellow, father of three children by three women, and a thief and murderer to boot." Eris grinned. "He was fun to mess around with."

"And the people? Simple byproducts of your meddling, I assume," Cupid said bitterly.

"Still a hypocrite, feathers-for-brains. Love kills even more than anger does. You might not believe it, but you've got _way_ more blood on your hands that I do." Eris nudged a man's muddy boot. "Five millennia and you still pretend to know humanity more than most of us. If Psyche knew how much you still have your head up your ass she'd ditch you on the spot."

That definitely pissed the love god off. Cupid's eyes flared with red fire, and he snarled at the goddess. His bow appeared in his hand.

Nico squeezed the grip of his sword. "What do you want, Eris?"

"Nothing with you, kiddo," Eris assured him. "It's Gabriel over here that I'm about to steamroll into the concrete. Dude's had this for a long time comin'. I'm sure a part of you agrees with me."

Eris cracked her knuckles. Her greens eyes seemed to grow more toxic, brighter, like they were sucking the light from the entire building.

Cupid's glowing eyes flicked to Nico's, and he flinched.

Eris saw the opportunity and took it. She charged the love god and sucker punched him into the wall. Cupid managed to avoid the next blow, but Eris kicked his legs out from underneath him and brought a foot down on his wing. He grunted in pain.

Nico raised his sword, wondering how in Hades he was going to break them up.

His answer came in the form of a distant shudder. The maze was shifting again. Plaster rained down from the ceiling and covered him in little flakes, the chamber groaning as it was magically rearranged. In a few moments they would be somewhere entirely new.

That was it! Gritting his teeth, Nico reached out to the stone and earth and forced it to move. The ceiling cracked from the strain of the surrounding dirt, and the hallway began to cave in as concrete chunks rained down. The roaring grew louder and louder, until it was absolutely deafening.

Eris snarled as a piece of the ceiling came down between her and Cupid. In a millisecond the love god was back on his feet. Raising one mighty wing, he struck her hard enough to send her flying down the collapsing maze. Nico leapt over a pipe hissing with some kind of gas- hopefully not carbon monoxide- and booked it down the same hallway they came in. The flapping of wings behind him told him Cupid was right on his heels.

They barely made it. Just as the factory imploded into nothingness, Nico made a wild leap of faith into thin air, his fall lasting what seemed like forever, and mercifully came down on solid ground.

Well, it would have been merciful if it hadn't caused his ankle to snap on impact.

He squealed in a rather undignified fashion and came to a rolling stop. Blood roared in his ears. Not for the first time, Nico wondered why the universe hated him. Between his face and the hard stone beneath it, blood pooled from his nose and got stuck in his hair. He gasped for breath.

He registered some kind of noise, like a man yelling, and blinked in confusion before he was roughly turned over.

"-Listening to me?! I ought to rip your arms from your sockets, you scrappy _wretch._ I-" Cupid faltered, his eyes narrowing. "Why does your face have no color?"

"Ankle," Nico gasped. He accidentally inhaled the blood in his nose and started to choke, coughing the dark liquid up. It burned almost as badly as his ankle.

Strong hands seized him and pulled him upright. Balancing on his good foot and leaning on Cupid, Nico managed a slow hop-walk along the dark wall. That went on for a few minutes before Cupid hissed impatiently and picked him up, making the son of Hades squeak in shock.

"If you ever try something like that again, son of Hades, and I'll leave you to rot with another broken ankle," the god snapped. Nico felt his nails dig into his shoulder blade. "You cannot interfere in a fight between two gods unless you wish for _death!_ Not to mention your little stunt with caving in the factory. I don't even know what happened to it in the mortal world!"

"Sorry," Nico slurred.

He could feel the god's anger crackling through the air like heat lightning, but he was already losing consciousness.

<> 

Maybe it was being in the Labyrinth, but Nico felt lost even in his sleep. Even dreams evaded his mind's eye, only allowing a glimpse of something or the other before it

vanished into darkness. He was almost certain he had seen Will, though, but he hadn't even had the time to call out to him before he was submerged in his own conscience.

Demigods had prophetic dreams all the time, but at least for now, Nico was totally alone.

It might have been a few hours or a few days, but when he woke it was to the sound of a couple of people arguing. For a second Nico was too weary to even lift his head, but he forced himself to wake up completely.

When he dared to open his eyes he almost had a heart attack.

On the other side of the room they were in- an old castle-ish room, almost- was Hera, the Queen of Olympus, and Cupid. Both gods had their arms crossed and looked like they wanted nothing more than to shred each other to pieces.

"... Cut off from my old life as it is, my Queen," Cupid said sharply. "I want nothing more than to see Nico through this quest, but I can't help but feel that there is more to this than what has been revealed to me."

Hera sighed, blue eyes flashing in the dark. "Every journey is more than meets the eye, Eros. Friends are made, lost, left behind. Lessons are learned. Secrets are uncovered, maybe even some that should have been left alone. It's hard wandering in the dark, isn't it?"

Cupid's fists clenched. "Am I not of your blood? Do I not deserve any kind of reprieve from toiling the way I have for the past couple of weeks?"

"I never forget my family, _grandson._ But your questions are ones that I cannot answer until much later."

Huge white wings puffed up, making the love god appear nearly twice his size. For a second Nico thought he was going to start flipping tables (or goddesses), but at last Cupid finally stood down. He didn't meet Hera's eyes as she passed him.

"Perseverance is key. Keep an open mind and a merciful heart. Oh, and Eros?"

"Yes?"

"I understand that you are becoming fond of that child. But make sure you don't forget your _real_ family." Hera's eyes flashed to Nico, and he quickly feigned being asleep. He didn't know if that had fooled Hera or not, but when he peeked out from his eyelashes again the goddess had left.

Nico shifted around, trying to determine the state of his ankle, but when he rolled his foot there was no pain at all. He blinked in confusion and pushed himself up on his elbows.

"Hera was feeling generous enough to heal your ankle and your nose. She did, however, take it upon herself to scold me for fighting Eris and for calling you a scrappy wretch," Cupid told him. Somehow the god seemed tired, and not just physically.

"I mean, I was mostly unconscious, so don't worry. I missed most of the being called a scrappy wretch." Nico gave the god a thumbs-up. "Also, why did she yell at you for fighting Eris. I mean, she attacked you."

"She is my father's sister. Hera is the goddess of family." Cupid kicked a rock, looking like a sullen college student. "She hates infighting."

"Oh."

A soon as Nico was sure he wasn't about to pass out again they left. He reached out with his mind as they walked, trying to sense any other people within the depths of the Labyrinth. Besides a few dead spiders on the floor there wasn't much to suggest at even the presence of other living organisms.

How much time had passed in the world above? It must have been a few days, at least. Nico hoped Psyche wasn't too worried about them. Man, he really should have asked a wind nymph to deliver a note to her or something.

Just as the architecture of the tunnels began to change, Nico picked up on the scent of copper. It was so faint he wouldn't have detected it without the faint draft blowing their way, but it made him stop in his tracks.

Cupid's senses were way better than this, so when the god took off down a narrow corridor Nico didn't question it. They raced through the pipes and steel walls until Cupid came to a screeching halt. Nico almost smacked into him.

Cupid pointed to the ground. Peering around him, Nico saw what he was looking at: a dark stain on the concrete.

"Human blood," he whispered.

"How can you tell?"

"I'm a god."

"Oh."

The love god signaled for him to be quiet and stalked forward. Nico drew his sword. Whatever they found next, he told himself that he would beat the shit out of whatever had harmed his friends. Will had to be close!

Heart pounding in his chest, Nico braced himself as Cupid peered around the corner. Then he looked back at Nico, held up a hand for him to wait, and went invisible.

Dead silence.

Nico almost jumped out of his skin when he heard something heavy and metal hit the floor. A kid shrieked.

Despite his quest-mate's orders, he surged forward and turned the corner, ready for whatever was waiting for him. And what was waiting for him almost made him pass out in relief.

Bedraggled and scratched up, but very much alive, were the heroes of Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter, all contained within a cell the size of a small classroom. He spotted Thalia, her silver tiara glinting in the dim light, Mark from Hermes, Harvey, Lilly from Demeter. Nico did a quick head count of the Romans, and by some miracle of the gods, they were all accounted for.

Malcom from Athena spotted Nico and yelled in delight. Cupid yanked hard on the cell door, metal bending under his strength, and finally got it open. None of the campers even questioned why a god was here to rescue them; everybody was either too tired or too pissed at being held captive for so long.

"Bless your frickin' soul, dude," Mark rasped. "You too, Lord Eros. I don't know if we would have lasted much longer in there."

Nico picked up Harvey, who was practically asleep on his feet. "Thank us after we get out of this gods-awful maze. Malcom, is anybody seriously injured?"

"Nope. Just sleep deprived and dehydrated." The son of Athena looked around warily, like he was expecting an attack. "But we gotta be careful, I don't know when crazy lady's gonna show up."

Nico almost asked who 'crazy lady' was, but he knew the answer even before the cell light up in a flash of golden light.

Eos grinned from the shadows, one hand on her hip. "Sorry, dears. I hate to ruin the fun, but _you_ lot are ruining my plans."

 


	18. Canada's A Bit Chilly, Eh?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy 2018 my dudes! I had one hell of a depressive episode and had to get ready for the next semester of college, so thanks so much for waiting. Also apologies if anybody has lost somebody to carbon monoxide poisoning RIP me. O3O'
> 
> Also your comments give me +10 Happiness. Seriously, feedback makes my whole day. May all of you have a year full of self-positivity and love.

Blood roared in Nico's ears as burning violet eyes locked with his.

Eos smiled sweetly, ignoring the terrified shriek of some Roman girl. "You two made a lot more progress than I thought you would, I'll give you that. Even I had trouble with the Labyrinth at first."

"Come any closer, titan, and I'll scatter you through every tunnel this cursed maze has to offer," Cupid spat.

The dawn goddess waved her hand dismissively. "Yes, yes, the old threatening nonsense. Sadly, it won't work. I can't let any of you leave. All my hard work would be for nothing!"

Nico glanced at Malcom out of the corner of his eye, an awful dread building in his gut. "Where's Will? Is there another cell or something near here?"

Malcom shook his head helplessly.

"My dear demigod, your Will isn't here." Eos' smooth, rich voice made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. "He's my best bargaining chip, you see."

"And why's that?" Nico rasped, drawing his sword. "What have you done with him?"

 _"_ _Relax._ I haven't harmed a hair on his head. He's my most valuable asset because he's _yours,_ Nico di Angelo. Hades would be damned if he let his son's true love die before it was his time. I was originally going to take that Annabeth girl, but even I wouldn't risk Athena's wrath. While Apollo is stuck as a little mortal brat, however..." Eos sighed in satisfaction. "It was like taking candy from a baby."

"Where is my _boyfriend?!"_ Nico shrieked before charging her. He swung with all his might, hoping to take off an arm, but Eos swatted him aside like a bothersome insect.

Bright spots danced before his eyes as he cracked his head on the wall. Nico slumped to the floor, stunned senseless.

When his senses returned a few seconds later all of Tartarus had broken loose. Cupid had gone up against Eos in one of the most spectacular fights Nico had ever seen, both gods blurring with superhuman speed and strength. Cupid was doing his best to force her from the cell room, but Eos hadn't been taken by surprise this time. She held her ground easily and just about effortlessly.

Nico hauled himself to his feet. The rest of the demigods stared at him with wide eyes, all huddled together against the wall, obviously wanting to help but afraid to. He didn't blame them one bit. Just looking at Eos was making him nauseous, but hopefully that was just from what had almost happened to him.

"Everybody, get in groups of four or five. Get ready to shadow-travel," he grunted as he limped over to Malcolm. The son of Athena shouted the same thing to the group again, shocking them out of their daze. Kids quickly latched on to their friends and siblings like students finding partners for a project. Nico wasted no more time and shadow-traveled the first bunch of kids out of the Labyrinth.

Shadow-travel and the Labyrinth was risky business, if not dangerous. It required an insane amount of concentration to not end up in some tunnel underneath China, or something; the Labyrinth was always moving, always changing. It was alive just as much as Nico was, and it seemed to take great pleasure in messing with him in any way it could. One slip-up could mean death.

Nico focused on the park in Chicago he had been to when he and Cupid had saved Lacy. He thought about the cool grass underneath his back, the wintery sun warming his face. Never in a million years would he have thought that he would miss some crazy, overcrowded American city, but he found himself wanting to go back more than anything.

They emerged from the shadows underneath a great oak tree. Nico paused long enough to take a few deep breaths before leaping back in.

He was back in the cell again. Grabbing another few kids, he made the jump to the park and back. When he reappeared in the Labyrinth cell he had to force himself to not black out. He couldn't afford to.

A violent shriek snapped him out of his daze, followed by several scared yelps from the demigods. Nico whipped around to see Eos sinking her fingers through the shoulder of Cupid's left wing. Golden ichor sprayed across the wall as she ripped the appendage from its socket, and Cupid screeched again, collapsing against the bars of the cell.

Rage made Nico see red, and it wasn't just the flickering light streaming from the injured god's eyes. He flung himself at Eos with a strength he didn't even know he had and sliced her face open from her eye to her jaw.

The goddess hadn't been expecting an attack, since her focus had been on Cupid, and it showed when she screamed in shock and leapt away. The blade's infernal metal cut deep and began to fester almost immediately- Stygian Iron was one of the deadliest metals in existence, and only a child of the Underworld could ever hope to weld a weapon made from it. Nico took advantage of her pain and jumped her again.

Eos was terrifyingly strong, but Nico knew that her hand-to-hand combat experience was limited. He used that against her as he ducked and weaved back and forth, anger and desperation giving him strength.

Nico glanced at Cupid out of the corner of his eye. "Get them out of here!"

The love god blinked dazedly, and then stiffened. "I'm not leaving you here with _her!"_

"I got this! I'll be right behind you!"

"Oh, no you _won'_ _t!"_ Eos snarled, slashing at Nico's throat like a wildcat. He barely got out of the way in time, and he used her open position to stab her ribcage, driving the blade clean through her torso.

Her agonized wail was so loud the tunnel itself shook.

Nico didn't see Cupid teleport himself and the demigods away, but he felt the sudden displacement of damp air and grinned. If they had saved the campers, then they had won. Eos couldn't do anything to them now.

All he needed now was a plan to defeat this evil woman, get the hell out of the Labyrinth, and never come back.

Grunting in exertion, he yanked his sword out of the titan's body and roundhouse-kicked her into the cell bars. Eos' head cracked against the metal and she landed hard on her back with a jarring _thump._

Nico's sword was at her throat within the same second.

For a moment there was no sound but exhausted gasping. Nico bared his teeth at Eos and pressed the tip of the blade to her throat, making her grunt.

"How about we make a deal," he told her.

Eos laughed, ichor running from her face. "There is nothing you could give that would placate me except for my sister."

"I can't do that. But I can tell you something about your curse."

Violet eyes widened, and she exhaled raggedly. "You try my patience, son of Hades."

"I do not. Just the other day I spoke with Aphrodite, and we talked for a bit about this whole... situation." Nico removed his sword from her throat. "I'll gladly tell you if you give me a good hint as to where Will Solace is."

Eos sighed. "Could this little tidbit of information possibly help me overcome it?"

"I think it could," he told her.

"Then by all means."

"Not so fast!" he hissed as she moved to sit up. "I want your word."

"Only if we both swear on the River Styx to tell the truth."

Nico growled. "... Fine. I swear on the River Styx that if the goddess Eos gives me a hint as to where Will is then I will give her a hint about her curse."

"Making me go first? Smart boy. I swear on the River Styx that I will tell Nico di Angelo the possible whereabouts of Will Solace," Eos said. "May I sit up now?"

He let her sit up. She groaned in relief as she got her weight off her stab wound, covering the hole with her hand. It came away covered in liquid gold.

"Need a Band-Aid?" Nico asked.

She glared at him. "Do not presume you can push me any further, boy. I may be weak at the moment but I am still very much immortal."

Nico refrained from decapitating her. "Where is my boyfriend?"

Eos thought for a moment, tapping her finger to her knee. "Look to the caves in the Underworld. Follow the light."

"Follow the... that's not a hint!"

"Of course it is. You'll figure it out in no time at all!" Eos beamed at him, casualness ruined by the blood and dirt all over her.

Nico then had a revelation. His dreams about that strange cave, the light shining through the tunnel. Could that possibly have a connection to what Eos was telling him?

He was brought out of his thoughts by Eos snapping her fingers. "I don't have all day. Tell me what you know about my curse."

Nico's mind raced. "There is a way to destroy it, but it's extremely difficult."

Eos' eyes flashed with rage. "You doubt my power?"

He almost flinched away from her, but at the last second he managed to remain calm. "Nope. But in order to succeed, you must go to Tartarus and drink from the River Phlegethon."

"I have to do _what?"_ Eos spluttered, but Nico held up a hand.

"I know it sounds crazy. But the Phlegethon is also the River of Healing. See where I'm going with this?"

The titan glared at him. Nico's heart was pounding so hard he was almost certain she could hear it. Technically, he _was_ telling the truth. The River Phlegethon could heal curses. But because Eos wasn't _actually_ cursed there was no telling what it would do to her.

At last, Eos seemed satisfied with his suggestion. "Very well. I'll do it. But mark my words, son of Hades. You'll pay for ruining my plans the way you did."

Nico nodded, unable to stand being trapped in a tunnel with her any longer. The second Eos moved to stand up he leapt for the shadows and disappeared.

<> 

He knew he had reached his limit the second he stumbled out of the shade of a pine tree. One step, two steps forward, the world tilted before his eyes, and then the ground rushed up to meet him.

As for how long he stayed down, he had no idea, but when he regained consciousness he was being carried. Nico briefly caught a glimpse of the night sky, the glow of moonlight on shadowed snow. It was bitterly cold.

He was aware of being adjusted, and the light coming through his eyelids vanished completely. Forcing himself to open his eyes, he found himself in a small cave, the smell of moss and dead leaves hanging in the air. Cradling him in his arms was Cupid, still bloody and weakened from his fight with Eos.

"You're lucky I've gotten used to picking up on your shadow-travel residue. A few more hours in the cold like you were and you would have died," the god rasped.

"Where are we?"

"Somewhere in Canada. I brought the demigods back to their camps before I went searching for you. You might have overshot just a little."

A silent snort escaped Nico, making his ribs ache. None of them felt broken, which was miraculous, but he was hurting so badly it was hard to stay lighthearted. Part of him wished he was still unconscious. When he looked up at Cupid, he could tell he wasn't much better off.

"Your wing," Nico remembered. He craned his neck around to see that it was still badly dislocated. The love god's accelerated healing wasn't doing much; an injury from a titan like Eos was probably devastating to any being. "Put me down, I can reset that."

Cupid set him on the ground, looking wary. "You know how to do that?"

"My boyfriend is a son of Apollo. I picked up a few things. Now brace yourself, this is gonna hurt." Nico pushed himself to his knees and grabbed the wing in one hand, Cupid's shoulder with the other.

With a mighty shove, he forced the bone back into its socket.

Cupid's pained cry made Nico's heart hurt. The god slumped over, and Nico quickly leaned against him, so he didn't face-plant into the ground. He took quick, gasping breaths for a few moments before he was able to recover, obviously unused to the discomfort of a wound like that.

Nico realized that he must have flown for a long time with his wing like that. Guilt wormed up from his stomach and made it a little harder to breathe. _Dumb god._

"This is..." Cupid broke off with a cough. "This is what demigods have to go through, all the time. Isn't it?"

The son of Hades remembered the years he had spent on his own, the quests he had been on that had left he and his friends injured, traumatized, and on the verge of a breakdown.

"Yeah," Nico said quietly. "But we're the lucky ones, you know?"

"The _lucky_ ones?" Cupid asked in disbelief. He glared at Nico, red eyes glowing. "Look at us! We're in some forest in Canada, in winter, hiding in a cave like _animals!_ How do you heroes stand it?"

"Because we have to."

Cupid leaned back against the rock, eyes shut tight.

"We're lucky because at the end of the day, we still have a chance. We have _hope._ We have friends and family who love us, and even if we can't talk to them, we know that they care about and support us. Don't you see, Cupid? A whole lot of kids like me can't say the same. Most kids like me end up _dead."_

The love god drew his knees up to his chest, shaking his head slowly.

Nico exhaled, shivering. For the first time, he registered how cold it was, cold enough to burn his chest every time he breathed. He cursed himself for not packing anything in advance prior to going into the Labyrinth.

Something large and feathery brushed his head. Nico looked up at the expanse of a white wing, gleaming silver in the moonlight streaming in from the entrance. It hovered there for a moment before coming down to rest over him.

Nico pressed himself against him, closing his eyes. Sleep was probably not going to come to him tonight unless Hypnos himself came down to bless him, but he did his best to relax and clear his mind. Tomorrow he would need all his energy to find a way to get him and Cupid back to Chicago in one piece.

"Cupid?"

"Mm?"

"... Thanks. For coming to get me."

The god didn't say anything, but he hugged Nico closer, like he was trying to shield him from the rest of the world.

 


	19. The Guy With The Moldy Cabin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cupid pushes too far, and learns that he doesn't know Nico as well as he think he does.

It would be many hours before the sun came up, Cupid knew as he leaned over slightly to check the stars. That was good because it would provide ample time for Nico di Angelo to sleep. That is, if he _could,_ provided that the temperature was well below freezing.

It was bad because he had nothing to do but think.

Nico's words came back to him, filling his gut with a strange numbness.

_We're lucky because at the end of the day, we still have a chance. We have hope._

Cupid had always viewed demigods as tireless heroes, monster-slayers. He, like any other god, considered them pawns in the grand design of the Fates. They were interesting entertainment, no doubt, but entertainment all the same.

So when the son of Hades had quite bluntly told him that many demigods die before their stories even began, it was... disturbing. Cupid was very disturbed. He couldn't help but imagine all the frightened children that had taken their last breath, probably alone, at the hands of monsters or even a malicious immortal. They were born to be killed, like cattle for slaughter, simply for the crime of carrying the blood of a god.

Nico certainly didn't look like a god when Cupid looked down, where the child was dozing on his stomach. He just looked like any other mortal teenager- tired, gangly, awkward. And yet, he didn't. Thick black hair stuck up everywhere. There were dark bruises under his eyes, no doubt from the stress of the quest. The edges of his shirt were crusty from bloodstains and his jacket was covered in dirt.

Cupid remembered when his daughter had been born. Psyche's dark eyes had blazed in triumph and love as she held Voluptas for the first time. He recalled being completely overwhelmed and shocked by the tiny goddess, perhaps even scared. But when he had met her bright newborn eyes, the terror had been replaced instantly with the hellfire that all parents had within, the raging desire to _protect_ at all costs. He was the god of love and desire, yes, but in that moment, there was nothing more important than being a father.

Did the other gods not feel the same way? Was it because their children were half-mortal, and not worth their precious time? Or was it simply the fear of loss, the length of a human's life being like the brightest of stars- brilliant, but so very short.

_Most kids like me end up dead._

A cold wind blew through the cave, yanking him from his thoughts. Cupid blinked down at Nico, wondering where in the Heavens that train of thought had come from.

 _Alright. Stop pretending,_ he thought angrily. _You care about this child._ _He is not of your blood, nor even immortal, but he is so very important._

_Cupid, you absolute fool._

He exhaled, letting his head fall back against the rock. The Olympians were no doubt laughing at his turmoil. Oh, how the tables have turned; him usually being the one to stir up a good squabble as his arrows found the hearts of unsuspecting gods and goddesses. Ares, his father, was probably rolling his eyes at this very moment.

Sighing, he slouched deeper into the leaves and moss. Another gust of freezing wind blew into the cave, and Nico squirmed in his sleep, eyes flickering restlessly under their lids. Cupid wrapped his wings tighter around the demigod. But even as he drifted off, he remembered what Psyche had told him not too long ago- that Nico was experiencing severe anxiety over something other than his friends. Tomorrow, he vowed that he would talk with Nico about it and see what he could do.

If he was going to watch over this child, he would be damned if he gave it anything less than his absolute best.

<> 

When Cupid woke up, he was immediately aware of two things.

One, his wings had frosted over in the night and were now stiff and sore.

Two, Nico was nowhere to be seen.

"It's too early for this shit," he muttered as he all but stumbled out of the cave. The sun reflecting off the snow was blinding enough to be painful, and he almost cursed at Apollo before remembering the sun god was mortal now. Maybe he should have a talk with the fellow; Apollo would probably understand the situation he was in better than anybody.

"Nico?" he called. His voice echoed through the forest and was swallowed by the snow. When there was no response, he groaned and took off, wingbeats kicking up snow.

He coasted low over the trees, scanning the thicket for annoying little demigods who didn't know to stay close to their teammates. It was cold enough to be uncomfortable, even for him, so when he had flown several circles around the area Cupid started to get very worried. The wind chill made it even worse, and when he saw the storm clouds gathering on the horizon he frowned.

A flicker of movement made him glance down. Relief surged through him when he saw Nico, alive and unharmed, but then he saw something that made him a little concerned.

Cupid swooped down and landed by the demigod. Nico had his hand on his sword, staring at the animal before him with a mixture of horror and shock.

"Ah... child? Are you alright?" he ventured.

Nico managed a slight whimper.

Cupid looked down at him, back at the large animal staring at them, and then rolled his eyes to the sky.

"Nico. That is a moose."

"Oh my gods," the son of Hades said softly. "Oh my gods. I hate it, make it go away."

"Nico."

"It's still _staring_ at me!"

"Yes, because you're standing there like a moron and crying like a baby."

"I'm not crying!"

The moose snorted and flicked its ears. Its impressive antlers were just shy of Cupid's wingspan, and it stood taller than any car. Other than its size he did not see what the fuss was all about.

"Alright, child. Back away, it's fine." Cupid pulled Nico away, leading him down the lake shore they were on. "Of all the monsters you've seen and fought, a _moose_ is what scares you the most?"

Nico spluttered angrily. "They're weird, okay? Their heads are weird, their antlers are weird, they're too big for a normal animal-"

"Remind me to never let you near an elephant."

"Elephants are nice! Moose are evil, Cupid, they _kill_ people every year."

"Elephants kill people too."

"If you're stupid enough to piss off an elephant, you had it coming," Nico defended. "If you so much as breathe wrong at a moose it'll attack. There's a big difference."

"Oh, Heavens."

They started off at a steady pace through the forest. Nico explained that he had seen a hunting perch earlier, so there had to be a town nearby. He found a snowed-over hiking trail not too long after that, probably more out of dumb luck than anything, but Cupid wasn't about to complain. As the storm clouds he had seen earlier started to pile higher and higher in the sky, the amusement of the earlier events waned, quickly replaced by a growing sense of unease. Even the strongest of blizzards didn't get that large that fast.

 _"_ _Venti,"_ he muttered.

"Yeah." Nico sneezed into his elbow. "Maybe they'll just mind their own business?"

"They're wind spirits, Nico. Wind spirits never mind their own business."

Sure enough, Cupid felt a slip of wind whiz by, hitting Nico in the face and making his cheeks red with windburn. The son of Hades grunted in annoyance. Another one followed that, this time going up his shirt and making him yelp in pain. Nico ended up all but hiding under one of Cupid's wings to avoid the spirits' antics.

He lost his temper when one particularly bold _ventus_ shot through the feathers of his injured wing to singe Nico's ear.

"That is _it!"_ Cupid hissed, and leapt into the air like a cat after a bird. He snagged a hold on the _ventus_ and took it to the ground with him. It thrashed in his grip, but Cupid dissipated it with a good squeeze. "Annoying little bastards."

"Nice catch," Nico said, blinking at his sudden change in mood.

 _Ah,_ that reminded him.

"Why, thank you. So, the other day, Psyche told me something that's been worrying me a little- something about having trouble with anxiety? We understand that you were very worried about your friends, and now Will Solace, but she seems to think something else is causing it."

As he spoke, Nico seemed to lock down. Dark eyes flickered uneasily, like he was looking for an escape.

"Nico, you can talk to me," Cupid chided gently.

The son of Hades opened his mouth, as if to speak, but no sound came out. He swallowed and shook his head. Was it his imagination, or had the child's face gone a bit pale?

"I... Nico's voice cracked, and he cleared his throat. "I'm fine. I've been dealing with anxiety and depression for a long time. Nothing new."

Cupid sensed that he wasn't telling the complete truth; he always knew when somebody was lying about their emotions. "Mm..."

Nico hunched his shoulders, like he was defending himself from an invisible enemy. "It's mortal stuff. I'll tell you about it someday."

"Why not today?"

The boy sighed, irritation evident on his face. "Cupid, has it ever occurred to you that maybe people should be able to talk about their own stuff when they want and not when others force them to do so?"

Anger made him bristle at Nico's tone, but another feeling rose in the back of his mind, something strange and foreign. He forced it back down.

"Anybody would be grateful to talk to a god about their problems," he said.

Nico snorted without humor. "I thought the wind spirits were bad at minding their own business. Psyche's right. You really are a hypocrite."

He turned on the child with a snarl, making him gasp and stumble back. Cupid glared down at Nico, daring him to say another word.

"I'm perfectly fine with my wife jabbing at me, but I won't take another word from you, mortal brat," the god hissed. "Quit acting like an impudent little toddler."

"You calling me weak?"

"Weak and a coward."

Something snapped in Nico's dark eyes, and the son of Hades flung himself at Cupid with an enraged screech.

Cupid was shocked at Nico's rage as the child battered him with fists and kicks, seemingly forgetting about his sword. He stepped back, anger lessened by Nico's distress, and then further when he realized that whatever was troubling him ran much further than he originally anticipated.

The son of Hades might have been angry, but he was also very worn out. After a few more moments of desperate battering he all but collapsed into the snow. At first Cupid thought he was just throwing a tantrum, but then he saw he was shaking uncontrollably, completely trapped in some kind of fit. Nico kept on taking rapid, shallow breaths as he focused on empty space. If he was pale before, now he looked completely bloodless.

The god knelt, confused and increasingly alarmed as the child's breaths deepened and rattled in his chest. Part of it must have been from the frigid air, because after a few wheezes he started coughing uncontrollably.

A distant voice called from down the path, making Cupid turn around in alarm. A mortal man and his dogs were trekking through the field next to them, the man carrying a walking stick and a rifle. Cupid almost threatened the mortal off, his patience already strained, but then he realized that another human might understand what was going on with Nico.

The man jogged over to them, strides stiff from his obvious age. "Goddammit, not again. Every year some idiot tries making it through this forest and collapses."

"I don't know what's wrong with him. He's not cold," Cupid told him warily. The man seemed harmless enough, but he wasn't taking chances.

"Eh? Lemme see." The man sat down beside the son of Hades and gently rolled him over. He looked at Nico's face, eyes widening as he saw the boy staring into empty space.

For a moment, he didn't speak.

"Well? Do you know what happened?" Cupid demanded. "Does he need medical attention?"

"I've seen this kind of fit before. I've experienced 'em after I got back from Vietnam. This kid has post-traumatic stress disorder." The man shook his head, staring down in disbelief.

Cupid blinked, not sure what to think or feel.

"Come on. We're gonna get him to my cabin so he can rest. I won't ask questions, but if you try and make the boy go any further I'm callin' the cops on your ass." The man helped Nico to his feet, who seemed to be slowly coming out of his episode. Cupid moved to help, but stopped when he saw Nico flinch. Fortunately, the man didn't seem to notice, and together the three of them and the dogs made their way down the trail.

<> 

 _One step, forward, two steps backward,_ Cupid thought wearily as the man all but dropped Nico on his couch. The son of Hades passed out almost immediately; his fit must have exhausted him.

The man fussed over him like he was his own son, something that made Cupid's hackles stand on end. _He_ was supposed to be looking after Nico, not some old mortal meatbag who thought living in the ass end of Canada was a good idea, not to mention some mortal meatbag who lived in a _gross moldy cabin_ in the ass end of Canada.

"Any idea what could have triggered it?" The man asked as he sat down in an old chair. The wood creaked under his weight. Outside, the blizzard that had been threatening them all morning finally let loose, pelting the world below with billions of little white crystals. The dogs romped joyfully through the storm, completely unbothered by the weather. On the other side of the yard was a massive barn.

"I..." Cupid shook his head. "We did get into an argument earlier, but it wasn't anything serious. He does have quite the temper."

"Ah, but something that is insignificant to you might have been life-threatening in his eyes. Maybe listen and look closer from now on."

Cupid clenched his jaw in anger. "I don't need some old man telling me what to do."

The man just laughed at him, making Cupid even angrier. "I get it. Most people will never know what it's like to have monsters in your head, striking at the slightest provocations." He leaned in, eyes darkening. "But I will tell you this. Every survivor of something terrible that lives with PTSD, we gotta stick together. If you do anything else to convince me that this boy is in danger because of you..."

His feathers were standing on end, and his heart pounded furiously in his chest. Who did this bastard think he was? Maybe he should just smite him, save himself a headache.

"Watch the vase right there. Those wings of yours are gonna knock it over." The man grinned, revealing a few missing teeth as he lit a cigarette.

"Maybe I'll shove it up your...wait. You..."

He cackled noisily. "I may not be anything like you or your boy, but I've been seeing things since I was a child."

The wind howled, making the windows rattle.

"You can see through the Mist," Cupid realized.

"Is that what it's called? Well, yes, I suppose. It's not as easy as it used to be, but even I couldn't miss the wings or that boy's sword."

Cupid decided he wouldn't kill him, if out of curiosity more than anything. He let his feathers lay flat. "How much do you know?"

"Only that monsters are real and gods walk the Earth like we do. Which one are you?"

"I am Cupid, the God of Love. Or Eros, if you prefer the Greek side of things."

The old man blew out smoke. "Ain't you the little fella on Valentine's Day cards?"

His expression must have been hilarious to the man, who roared with laughter loud enough to make Nico squirm in his sleep. He slapped his knee several times before recomposing himself. Then he met Cupid's eyes again and snorted.

"The only reason I haven't killed you yet is because I don't want to upset Nico. But don't think you can push your luck," Cupid growled.

"Alright, alright. But really? Greek... and Roman, am I right?" The old man seemed to ponder that as he stared at the ceiling.

"Yes. The gods of the ancient times are very much real, as are the stories of heroes and demons and monsters."

"Damn. You never stop learning, do you." The man shook his head.

"... I suppose you don't."

Nico shifted again, before jolting upright, fists raised for a fight. _"_ _Who'sthere-!_ Oh, sorry."

"You're all good, boy. Lookin' better already." The man pushed himself out of his seat with a grunt, back cracking. "Y'all want something to eat? I don't care who's a god and who's not, I'm not lettin' anybody out of this cabin until this goddamn blizzard calms down."

 


	20. That Time Cupid Smoked Weed, I Know You Guys Have Been Thinking About It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico wishes he could talk Cupid about Split, he really does. But that confrontation might be drawing nearer more quickly than he could ever imagine.

Once Nico got over the shock of meeting another mortal who could see through the Mist (like Sally Jackson, he thought longingly), he was hellbent on getting back to action. He stretched, did some breathing exercises, and even showed the old man his sword and preformed a few moves for him. The man was utterly delighted with it all.

"You're really the son of Hades? What can ya do?" he asked.

"Oh, I raise the dead," Nico explained.

The old man's eyes widened. "Well, as long as you don't raise my old mother-in-law."

Nico promised he wouldn't raise his old mother-in-law on him. Then he got to shower while the guy threw his clothes in the wash for him, which Nico could have hugged him for. The water was lukewarm at best, but because he had spent fifteen to twenty hours out in below-zero conditions it felt like a sauna. It was a miracle and a half he was even alive.

He tried to not think about what had happened just a few hours ago. The memories were still much too painful. Unfortunately, as his brain got back to normal levels of functioning he didn't have much of a choice.

When Cupid had rounded on him, eyes blazing red like toxic pools of blood and more wrathful than a demon, something in him had given way. One second he was standing in the snow with fear crawling through his bones, and the next he was back in Split, getting taunted and beaten and clawed wide open for the world to see. Humiliation made him want to cry and tear his own hair out. The arrow Cupid had shot into his arm burned like fire. Jason's shouting rang in his ears, alarmed and angry. In that moment, Nico had been certain the son of Jupiter would either try to kill him or grab the Scepter of Diocletian and banish him from the _Argo II._

Jason hadn't, of course. He had tried to comfort Nico, telling him that no matter what happened, he and their friends would always have his back.

Nico didn't buy it. The former praetor would slip up, fess up to Piper or Frank. Then they would all mutter behind his back, call him wrong and disgusting. There would be narrowed eyes from the opposite end of rooms and hallways, and Nico would be alone, as he always had been. The world would never change for people like him.

But it had. It was far from perfect, but Nico knew now that he was free to be who he was without fear of punishment or death. And when he had fallen for Will Solace, there was the sense of freedom and joy- he had been scared, yes, but at last he knew he had a chance to be truly loved by somebody. It was indescribable, amazing, brilliant. He just hoped that he deserved somebody as wonderful as Will.

Nico realized he had been in the shower for half an hour or so. He quickly turned off the water and dried himself off before getting dressed, shivering so hard his teeth chattered in his skull. Stupid Canadian winters.

Peeking out of the bathroom to make sure the coast was clear (AKA free of certain love gods), Nico made a break for the guest bedroom the old guy had told him he could chill in until the blizzard was over. He darted down the hall, through the door, and did a tuck-and-roll into the little space between the wall and the bed.

Nailed it.

He pulled out a few granola bars and began eating. Nothing was more delicious than a half-frozen chunk of oats and dried fruit after a panic attack. After he finished, he stuffed the wrappers back in his backpack and scooted over until he was under the bed, just close enough to the edge so that his claustrophobia wouldn't kick in. Weirdly enough, gentle pressure spread out over his back and chest helped him immensely whenever he was anxious. Maybe it was an ADHD thing.

Unfortunately, he didn't have a lot of time to calm down, because the next thing he knew a shadow fell across the carpet.

"Ah, child? Are you under the mattress?"

Nico froze. "Uh... maybe?"

"Want to come on out?"

For a few seconds it was deathly quiet. Then Nico figured it would be better to confront Cupid now rather than later and dragged himself out. The god sat next to him, looking at him with a curious expression. He didn't look judgmental or anything, just analytical.

Nico matched his stare, burying the lower half of his face in his crossed arms.

"The old man said something about PTSD," Cupid said.

Nico snorted. "Straight to the point."

"Why didn't you tell me before?"

The son of Hades tilted his head up to give the god a look that clearly stated he had been dropped on his head as a baby.

_Oh, how the tables have turned._

Cupid sighed. "Nico, I... I don't know what happened back there, but I just don't want it to happen again. Perhaps I pushed too far that time."

 _Just that time, huh?_ Nico thought angrily. He wanted to explode, to yell, to tell Cupid everything he had done to make him miserable. Maybe if he knew what he had almost done that night after Croatia, when he had climbed to the top of the rear mast and looked down at the dark ocean below-

"Nico?"

He almost told him. But when he met Cupid's amber eyes, concerned and gentle and the opposite of the malevolent god who haunted his flashbacks, he couldn't bring himself to do it.

He couldn't speak. So instead he pushed himself to his knees and threw his arms around the god's neck. Cupid shifted slightly in surprise, huffing softly, before returning the hug. While Nico could avoid looking Cupid in the eyes, he squeezed his own shut, trying to keep the tears from falling.

<> 

The old man who had graciously saved Nico's ass led them out to his barn, which looked like it was about to blow over any second, even though the blizzard had calmed down as the evening went on.

"Ain't no way you'll get back to civilization if you walk through the night, kid. Besides, Vancouver's two hours from here."

"You have a car?" Nico asked. Beside him, Cupid blanched.

"Nope." He pulled the barn door open to reveal a bush plane. "We're flyin'."

"Yes, as in, you two. I won't be going in that." The god looked at the plane like he was looking at dog crap on the bottom of his boot.

"Have fun flying in the cold, featherbutt," Nico called as he scrambled up on to the wing. Jeez, he hoped Zeus wouldn't get pissy if he just skedaddled on over to Vancouver. From there he and Cupid could just take a bus back to the States.

"Featherbutt!" The old guy cackled. Nico saw the look on Cupid's face and snickered. Sucked to be him. He wasn't about to let that nickname go anytime soon.

"How low can we fly without it being dangerous?" Nico asked as he got buckled in.

"Uh, low enough. Why?"

"Zeus gets mad if kids of Poseidon or Hades fly because we annoy him."

The old man looked down at him. "Damn. Of course he does."

He turned the key and the plane roared to life. Slowly, they rolled out into the snow before gunning the engine, and for a brief moment Nico couldn't see for the snow that got kicked up everywhere.

"Don't ever try takin' off from snow. I've crashed so many times in the back field it's a wonder it doesn't look like one of the rice paddies I fought on in 'Nam," he grumbled.

Slowly but steadily, they climbed into the sky. The sun beamed out from the horizon and through the trees and casted everything into its brilliant golden glow. Above them, the first stars began to glitter tentatively. For all its scary moose and blizzards, Nico was beginning to see why people were drawn to Canada's chilly cities and forests. There was a kind of rugged beauty in the ice and snow he had never seen anywhere else.

"Say, where's that winged friend of yours?" the old guy asked, peering out the side window briefly. "Don't tell me he-"

Something large and white whizzed by the plane, snowy feathers shining silver and gold in the fading sunlight. Cupid banked to the right, the motion fluid and effortless, before shooting up to the sky and flipping around back to them. He flicked the edge of one long wing against Nico's window before shooting off like a fighter jet.

Beside Nico, the old man roared with laughter and delight, eyes crinkling as he watched the god soar with the grace of a thousand angels.

<> 

Vancouver was snowy, busy, and very cold. The moment the plane landed and came to a stop, the old man was shooing Nico out, obviously eager to get back to his cabin and dogs.

"I don't know what to say. Thank you so much for helping us," Nico told him as he slipped to the ground.

"No, young man. Thank _you."_ The old man gave Nico such a grateful look it made the son of Hades' heart twist.

Another winged shape descended from the sky and landed by the plane. Cupid shook out his frost-coated wings and nodded to the old man before turning to Nico. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah. Bye, and thanks again," Nico called over his shoulder. He headed for the city, tall skyscrapers lighting up the night. Cupid followed behind, and although Nico never knew of it, he and the man shared a look that was somehow colder than the winter itself.

They found a bus stop, and upon examining the schedule (thank the gods Cupid could read French) the next bus was supposed to arrive in an hour and a half, at six-thirty. Until then, he and the god had time to kill.

Cupid brightened up at that, and the next thing Nico knew he was being pulled along to an art museum.

"Last time I was here it was the sixties," he said absently as they walked along a display of stuff from Canadian, French, and even a few American musicians. "The winters back then were even more brutal. You children have no idea what a _real_ snowstorm is."

"Why were you in Vancouver?"

"Well, the last thing I remember was smoking a joint with Bob Marley, and then I was in a ditch in Canada and I thought I might swing by."

Nico snorted. "Never pegged you to be a weed guy."

"Eh, it was a one-time thing. Don't do drugs, Nico. Besides, it was Bob Marley. Now _that_ was a good man, spreading peace and love through music. Apollo and I had more than a few squabbles over who would influence his newest song." Cupid seemed lost in fond memory for a moment.

"Who else did you know? Like, important historical figures," Nico asked, curious.

"Hm... Well, in William Shakespeare's time, I helped him write _Romeo and Juliet_ \- stop smirking, child, I'll have you know that is a masterpiece. Apollo despised my friendship with his son, of course, but he was always petty," Cupid laughed. "Oh, he never did forgive me for sending him after Daphne the way I did. And then, in the second World War, I was the one to bring Eva Braun to Adolf Hitler. I had hoped that a calming influence like her would soothe that demon's soul, but alas, it didn't work."

Nico's eyes were wide. "Did you meet him?"

"I did. It took one look in his eyes to see how mad he was. An excellent speaker, full of ambition and energy... and yet, he let hatred take whatever was left of his heart. What separates strong people from the weak is fighting back against whatever evil bends their mind. Hitler didn't even try to fight his." Cupid shook his head.

"It's just... that happened when I was young," Nico said quietly.

"Indeed it did. He was one of the reasons the Big Three decided to have no more children as well."

"He was."

"A son of Hades, yes."

That scared Nico, for whatever reason. Did all children of Hades have such twisted fates? He wasn't going to end up like that crazy bastard; he'd die before that happened.

Cupid's gentle hand on his shoulder brought him out of his thoughts. "He was why the Big Three made their oath, Nico, but _you_ were why they decided to forgo it. Hitler represented everything horrible about death- the way it takes the lives of innocents, the pain of dying. You are the good side. You stand for the end of a long journey, a well-deserved rest after a hard life. There is nothing to fear."

Nico hugged him tightly. Jeez, he really did hug this dude a lot despite kind of despising his guts.

The love god ruffled his hair and beamed down at him. "Let's catch that bus and get back to the States, shall we?"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My dudes, my beautiful people. Thanks so much for all of your amazing comments and kudos. Even if you leave a comment that says you scratched your ass and it felt great, I would be happy. Let me be your gay PJO cousin you can overshare with, I don't care one bit.  
> Also, y'all should be happy to hear that we get to meet back up with Psyche and the Erotes next chapter to see what they've been up to.


	21. Nico's Godparents Are Very Concerned™

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A plane ride and a fight behind a Denny's later, our favorite duo are back in Chicago. Sadly, that doesn't mean they get a break anytime soon.

Looking back, Nico should have realized they had a much too easy time leaving Canada. The bus took them as far as the border before they got off. He and Cupid snuck out of the station, hiked through the forest separating the two nations, and then made the dash across the border. After they traveled along a freeway for the better part of two hours they found another bus stop in Olympia and took that all the way to Cheyenne, Wyoming. Then somehow Cupid found a nearby airport and all but dragged Nico to a flight, insisting that he wouldn't let Zeus electrocute him out of the sky.

He'll kill me, Cupid! He doesn't care that we're in a hurry!"

"Hush, child. I'm not going to let that happen."

"Last time I checked, you didn't have anti-lightning powers!"

"Keep up your whining and _I'll_ be the one to blast you from the plane."

At last, they were back in Chicago. Nico figured they must have set some kind of record for getting from the west coast of the United States all the way to the Windy City. Other than a few fence-hops and a quick brawl with harpies behind a Denny's at six in the morning, everything went according to plan.

It was only when they caught the final train to the flat that shit hit the fan.

Nico was trying to explain to Cupid how American politics worked (it involved a lot of swearing and sighing) when the train shuddered, making everyone lurch forward from the inertia. Somebody's baby started crying. At first, he just thought that they hit a bent part of the tracks, but when the sound of many somethings scattered across every window in the car he knew something was wrong.

"What on Earth-" Cupid began, staring at something outside. Then amber eyes flew wide as the window abruptly shattered and Nico found himself tackled to the floor. Glass shards flew everywhere. People screamed. _"_ _Keres!"_

Nico had his sword drawn before Cupid had finished speaking. The strange hiss-shriek of the _Keres_ made his teeth chatter in his skull as he rolled to his feet and swung his sword through two of them. An elderly couple flinched in terror. Nico had no idea what the Mist was having them see, but it definitely wasn't good.

The train rocked again, and Nico knew more Keres had arrived.

"Get the door open to the other car! I'll hold them off," Cupid ordered. Nico dodged a snarling _Ker_ and lunged for the door, desperately trying to get it open. It was locked, of course, and he had no clue how to get it open without breaking the door down.

"Hermes, please, if you're listening-!" Nico screeched in agony as white-hot claws raked down his back. "Help!"

Maybe it was him frantically yanking on the handle with all his might, maybe the god of thieves and locks had listened to his plea, but just as two more _Keres_ bore down on Nico the door finally gave way. None of the other passengers had to be told what to do; only to get out of Nico's way as he frantically beat off demon after demon.

It was Cupid who killed the last _Ker,_ slicing it in half with his massive bow. For a second, he and the god just stared at each other.

"Was that al-"

Later, Nico would thank every god and goddess in existence that they at least had gotten the other people out of that car. If they hadn't, there would have been at least a dozen deaths when a massive force flipped it on its side.

Nico cried out and landed hard on his shoulder. Fortunately, it didn't break, but he hit his head hard enough to see spots.

"Nico!"

I'm okay," he croaked.

Cupid had somehow jumped into the air at the second of impact and was holding on to the ceiling rails. He dropped down to Nico, grabbed him, and then jumped out of a broken window. It had snowed since they had last been in Chicago, and it was icy and very cold. In the distance, police sirens wailed.

Nico almost crapped his pants once he saw the other _Keres._ There must have been at least thirty or forty of them, all slowly circling the car like a pack of sharks. They didn't attack or make any hostile moves. None of them spat in hatred.

"What are they waiting for?" Cupid demanded.

"You don't think it's... her?" Nico muttered anxiously.

The love god bristled, glaring up at the cloudy sky like it had offended him.

Luckily, it wasn't Eos who found them. It was the Erotes.

A war cry split the freezing air. The demons scattered as a bunch of gods came roaring down from the sky, attacking without mercy. Nico stared in awe as Psyche, who was barely taller than he was, bulldozed through three _Keres_ at once with Celestial bronze grips in her hands, spiked along her knuckles. He had never seen her wings before, and he was pretty sure they were the most beautiful pair he had ever seen- blue and red and purple and orange, all shifting and changing as she moved. The edges were coated in the purest gold. What he found most interesting was that her wings weren't like a bird's- they were that of a butterfly.

That didn't mean she was any less delicate, though. Psyche ripped a piece of metal off the train and used it to deflect a _Ker_ before beating it to death with her wings.

"That's my wife," Cupid told him happily.

The relief from the cavalry arriving faded quickly as Nico realized that the gods were having a hard time against the _Keres._ Hymen and Pothos were both burned badly all over by one particularly swift demon. Hermaphrodite got blasted into the ruined train car and almost knocked Nico out. Poor Hedylogos had his back turned for a second too long and just about had a leg taken off

Just how strong _were_ these things?

Cupid was helping Himeros against four _Keres_ when Nico felt the hair on the back of his neck stand straight up. He whirled around so fast he almost got whiplash and stabbed straight through a _Ker,_ with its sister breaking away just in time.

It looped around back to Nico and dove between his legs, around his head, and under his arm, forcing him backwards. One foot almost went through the gap left by a broken window, and he stumbled with a yelp. It hissed in delight and sliced against his ribs. Nico gasped in pain and instinctively leapt back.

That almost costed him his life. One minute he was on top of the ruined train car, and the next he was falling to the pavement below.

Just before he hit the ground, a pair of strong arms wrapped around him and slowed his fall. Psyche whooped and skidded to a stop on the pavement, her combat boots kicking up gravel everywhere.

"Thanks, Psyche," Nico wheezed.

The goddess set him down and ruffled his hair. "You got it, bub! Now haul your skinny white ass back to the flat _now."_

"But I want to help you guys!" Nico protested as she shoved him towards the sidewalk.

"Nuh-uh! Some things are meant to be taken care of by us gods. Go!"

Nico didn't dare argue any longer. He took off in a dead sprint, ignoring his injured ribs (those had _just_ finished healing, godsdammit!) and trying to not fall over from the pain. The memory of the Erotes' flat flashed through his head, and Nico concentrated with everything he had before dropping into the shadows.

A short moment later, he found himself on top of the coffee table, half-unconscious and staring at the ceiling like it held all of life's secrets.

"Unngghh," he managed.

He rolled off the table and flopped to the floor.

After a few moments, he peeled himself off the floor and went to go get bandaged up. Because nobody else was home, Nico took no shame in squealing like a third-grader with a wedgie as he cleaned and disinfected his sliced-up ribs and back. Even he deserved small luxuries like that every now and again. When he finished he stumbled on downstairs to steal some of Psyche's mac n' cheese.

He was just rinsing out his bowl when the Erotes arrived.

All of them were battered, bloody, and looking more like a group of thugs who had lost a fight than anything. If Will was here, Nico thought longingly, he would be able to help these guys in a minute.

Luckily, the gods were all very fast healers, and once a few dislocated wings were set back into place everybody relaxed. Like they had done not too long ago, Nico and the Erotes all sat in a circle on the carpet to talk.

"Ohhh, shit on a stick, I'm going to be feeling that for the next week," Himeros groaned as he wrapped some kind of godly bandage around a giant slash down his arm. _"_ _Keres_ injuries take friggin' _forever_ to heal."

"True that," Psyche said. "Nico, you took care of your ribs and back?"

"Yeah."

"Good. Now that we know nobody's going to die within the next five minutes, how the hell did you two manage to be gone for four weeks?"

Cupid's eyes widened. "Four _weeks?_ We were gone for a few days at most!"

"Time moves differently in the Labyrinth," Nico reminded him. "We were down there for a long time."

"Whoa! You guys were in the Labyrinth?" Himeros demanded.

"Unfortunately. We did save the lost demigods, however, so that was a giant weight off our shoulders," Cupid explained.

"Except for Will." Nico hugged his knees to his chest. "Eos showed up as we were freeing my friends, and I ended up making a deal with her."

"You _what?!"_ Cupid barked, eyes flashing red. Hermaphrodite squeaked in alarm. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Nico winced. "It's not a big deal. I told her that I would tell her something about her 'curse' if she gave me a hint as to where Will was."

 _"_ _Young man."_

"Don't 'young man' me! I was just using my resources."

Psyche held up her hands. "Alright, _alright._ Boys, calm your tits. What did you tell her, Nico?"

"I told her if she drank from the Phlegethon in Tartarus it might cure her," Nico huffed.

"The River of Healing," Psyche muttered.

"The thing is..." Nico shifted uneasily. "I talked with Aphrodite a month ago about Eos. She told me that the curse was completely fake."

Eight pairs of eyes widened in shock.

"We don't have a lot of time before she figures out what I did," Nico said quietly.

For a moment everybody was quiet. Cupid and Psyche looked at each other, having a silent conversation nobody but they could understand.

Then Cupid turned to him. "And what did the titan say about Will?"

"She swore she hadn't hurt him. He's in a cave in the Underworld. Cupid, I'm almost certain that the dream we had about that cave with the glowing light at the end has something to do with it."

"He's being guarded by the _Keres,_ no doubt. Eos wouldn't let us save him that easily," the god added.

"You need to draw them out to make a clean extraction," Hymen said.

The other Erotes nodded in agreement. Psyche leaned back against the couch, her hands forming a triangle with her fingertips resting against her chin.

Nico spoke up. "Don't the _Keres_ feed off misery, since they're the demons of sickness and stuff like that?"

"Uh, yeah. Why?" Psyche asked.

Slowly, an idea began to take shape in Nico's head. It was a terrible idea. No, it was probably the worst idea in existence. But if his theory was correct, the _Keres_ wouldn't be able to help themselves once he hit them with everything he had. He had only done it once before, in Croatia, when his agony and grief had boiled over and exploded. If he had done it then, he would do it again, for Will.

He told them his plan.

When he finished, the gods were looking at him with a mixture of shock and awe.

"You would do that for him?" Anteros asked gently.

Nico nodded.

Cupid was shaking his head. "Nico, no. I can't let you hurt yourself like this."

"I have to."

The god's amber eyes were filled with pain. Nico was struck by how caring he looked, like he would do anything to shield Nico from what he was going to do. He broke away from Cupid's gaze, his chest hurting with something far deeper than any _Keres_ wound.

"Bub, it's a foolproof plan," Psyche admitted, looking just as worried as her husband. "But the only way we're letting you do this is if we come with you."

Nico looked up at her in shock. "You... you'd do that for me?"

"Hell yeah, kid," Himeros chuckled. "We take care of our own."

The Erotes whooped and thumped Nico on the back and hugged him. Not for the first time that week, Nico had a hard time not crying. Somehow, this knucklehead group of love gods and a walking shitpost of a goddess had become so important to him. They had become so much more than some immortals and a demigod messing around in a flat together. They had become family.

Once everybody dissipated to prepare for the upcoming trip to the Underworld, Nico buried himself in a pile of pillows on the sofa. He would need all the rest he could get for what he would do to save his boyfriend.

For the first time, when he felt Cupid curl up next to him and rest a wing over his body like a blanket, Nico felt no fear. He just hoped his plan wouldn't change that.

 


	22. In That Moment, Cupid Realized- He Fucked Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At last, Cupid is forced to see for himself what he did to Nico, and the consequences of it all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I'm not going to lie, this chapter is depressing as hell. If any of you don't want to read a part that has to due with suicidal thoughts, the bottom part of where Nico's memories end is what you want to avoid. Stay safe.

Gods didn't need a lot of sleep, something Cupid's mind seemed to have forgotten as he got ready to travel to the Underworld. It wasn't physical as much as it was mental exhaustion, he realized, something that surprised him. The weariness made him feel almost _old,_ a feeling completely new to him despite his thousands of years of life, like at last his longevity was catching up with him.

Psyche found him in their bedroom, re-stringing his bow even though the nigh-indestructible cord didn't need replacing.

"You're worn out," she said quietly. "I've never seen that before with you."

Cupid heaved a breath, absently fiddling with an arrow. "As this quest stretches on it feels like my mind is getting filed down with sandpaper. How do they do it, Psyche? How do they take such courage when even a god has trouble with a journey like this?"

His wife didn't need to ask him who he was talking about. She knew.

She said nothing, instead sitting down next to him on their bed. For a moment they said and did nothing except lean on each other. It was something they did often enough, if not to just feel the reassuring presence of the other god. In that moment, he didn't know what he would have done without her.

"Have you seen Favonius? He took off a few weeks ago and I haven't seen him since," Psyche asked randomly.

"Perhaps he found a lead on those three missing gods. That or he's off with that nymph he's been making eyes at."

Psyche snorted. "Sounds like him."

That finally got him to smile. "Shall we get going?"

"Yeah. I just... I'm worried about Nico," she admitted. "That kid's really something special. He's special to _us._ If he gets hurt..."

"I know. But if something does go wrong, he has us to aid him."

Psyche grinned. "Eight Erotes and Nico di Angelo. What a path the nine of us have taken."

"The path of nine, indeed," he murmured.

<> 

He and the rest of the Erotes and Nico risked a quick teleport to New York City. Eos would be down in Tartarus, if their luck prevailed, and wouldn't be able to pick up on the magical residue of eight gods and a hero disappearing and re-appearing several hundred miles away by the entrance to the Underworld.

Cupid groaned when Psyche whipped out her kazoo and started playing some tune from that one children's show- what was it? Oh, yes, _Kim Possible._ Why she had taken time out of her life to learn the opening theme on a kazoo, he would probably never know. Not that he was averse to her musical talents, it was just that he really didn't want to go down that damn tunnel again.

Nonetheless, he went down that damn tunnel.

"Holy shit, dude. You were right when you said this place was creepy," Himeros muttered as the hike went on and on. Anteros grunted as he hit his head on the roof of the tunnel for the umpteenth time.

"I told you" he hissed.

"We're about to trespass on another god's realm. I think that's more concerning than the fact it's a little dark in here," Hymen growled.

"I'll talk to my dad about it," Nico sighed.

Cupid could feel the nervous energy radiating off the son of Hades. They were so close to saving Will Solace. If all went well, they would have him back by the end of the day.

 _Something terrible is about to happen,_ a voice in his mind whispered.

 _No. Silence,_ he ordered the voice.

But he could not shake his fear, even as his friends' spirits lifted. As if the others were beginning to pick up on the excitement, everyone picked up the pace. Psyche hummed cheerfully until Hedylogos hissed at her to shut up. With Nico in the lead, they raced down the underground darkness to the realm of the dead.

_Something terrible._

Cupid squeezed his eyes shut, which almost made him crash into Hermaphrodite as the smaller god came to an abrupt halt.

The Underworld hadn't changed a bit since Cupid had last seen it. He gazed out at the flat plains and distant black mountains, blurred by haze and shadows. The walls of Erebos were visible even from inside the tunnel. The souls of the damned screamed from the Fields of Punishment, making his stomach churn. Heavens, how he hated those cries!

"Whoa," Himeros muttered.

"The river's this way." Nico took off without hesitation. Cupid looked back at the other gods, who were staring at the new world before them with huge eyes. He nodded at them, and then turned invisible to follow Nico. The rest of the Erotes did the same, except for Psyche, who hadn't ever gotten the hang of bending light away from her. She settled on running side-by-side with Nico and keeping to the shadows.

It took twenty minutes for them to reach the River Cocytus, also known as the River of Misery. The tormented souls of evildoers long gone swirled through its icy depths, whispering incoherently in Cupid's ear, making his wings stiffen in fear and sadness. Behind him he could hear Psyche praying to the Fates. The river was wider than two highways lying side-by-side and rushing furiously past them, like every droplet was competing with one another.

This was no place for the Erotes.

"Okay." Nico turned to face them, swallowing nervously. "Hedylogos, Pothos, Hymen, you guys form the first wave. Keep the _Keres_ away for as long as you possibly can. Hermaphrodite, you're the fastest, so you'll be heading for the cave system in the mountains over there to find Will."

The littlest love god nodded.

"The rest of you, take out as many _Keres_ as possible. Try to not let any of them kill me." Nico tried for a dry laugh.

Cupid stepped forward, his heart hammering in his chest. He clasped Nico's hands. The son of Hades looked up at him with large, dark eyes that were as unreadable as the dark world around them.

"Be strong. We're here for you," he told the boy.

Nico smiled. "I know."

Cupid released him, and watched with growing apprehension as Nico strode towards the River Cocytus.

"This is a bad idea," Hermaphrodite said before taking off like a shot.

As soon as Nico's foot dipped into the water he let out a cry. Beside him, he heard Psyche whine unhappily as his discomfort hit her like a tank. He felt it a second later.

And that was when his world came to an end.

<> 

_Westover Hall, despite being a military school, was still a school. Therefore, there were social rules that the kids lived by, whether they were sent there by rich parents or ended up being forced to go because no other place would take them._

_Don't make a scene about anything, everyone was told on their first day. Don't cry in class unless you want to get beaten up. Listen to the popular kids if they have something to tell you. Do your classwork or get a ruler to the back of your hand. Shower every day so you don't stink like the ungrateful pig you are. Be average. Be unnoticeable._

_Nico di Angelo understood these unspoken laws to an extent. He was finally ten years old, a big kid like his sister! It was the day after his birthday, and Nico had gotten a new pack of Mythomagic cards- the newest extension, like the one his friends had. After gym they had arranged a meeting in the courtyard to have a few sessions._

_He rushed into the locker room to get dressed. Most of the other boys weren't there yet; he was early. There was only him, a guy called Kyle, and Marcus Grayson, who smoked a lot and smelled bad. Nico never said anything, though, because he'd seen how hard Marcus could punch._

Cupid watched the memory in surprise, wondering how he was receiving it from Nico. He knew the boy had minor empathic abilities, but nothing this powerful. Interesting.

_Nico liked Kyle much better. Kyle didn't smoke or smell bad, and he was handsome. He was one of the fastest kids Nico knew and was super smart. Despite being in the grade above him and more popular, Kyle had said hello to him several times throughout the year._

_He blinked curiously as Kyle pulled on his gym shirt, which was tonight enough to show off his back muscles. Nico stared._

_Marcus saw him, saw what he was looking at, and snarled something Nico couldn't understand. The next thing he knew he was bleeding out from his nose, face down on the floor and gasping in pain._

The blood roared in Cupid's ears as the vision flickered and finished. What kind of person _did_ that? Nico had done nothing wrong!

When he glanced behind him, he could tell the other Erotes were seeing the same thing he was, even as they fought off the incoming Keres. 

_Bianca got him out of the nurse's office as soon as she could. She held him as he cried, promising him she would sneak a few cookies from the cafeteria tomorrow. Marcus was just a big bully._

_"_ _Why did he hit me?" Nico whimpered._

_Bianca looked like she was struggling for words. "Because he saw you looking at Kyle. I love you, Nico, but if you don't want to get hurt, you mustn't stare at boys anymore."_

_"_ _Why?"_

 _"..._ _I'll tell you when you're older."_

Then Cupid watched as Nico stood at the cliff's edge with Bianca, shouting at that horrendous teacher Cupid immediately knew was a manticore. But Percy Jackson came to the rescue and saved the di Angelo siblings.

_He was a real hero, something from Nico's imagination brought to life. He watched in awe as Percy fought the scary monster with his sword. The blonde girl was cool, too, but he only had eyes for the black-haired boy with the sea-green eyes. He brought Nico and Bianca to Camp Half-Blood. He brought them home._

_But Percy came back from the quest to save Artemis, and his sister did not._

The pain in the memory of Nico screaming at Percy was so awful it made Cupid gasp. It felt like somebody was driving a hot knife down his chest.

Bianca was dead, and it was all the son of Poseidon's fault, but Nico still couldn't hate him. How could he? He _loved_ Percy.

Nico pulled back the skeletons he had unwittingly raised in the nick of time. As Percy called after him, pleading to come back, Nico ran as fast as he could into the Labyrinth.

What are you doing? Go back to Percy!

_His sister was dead. The only person who loved him, who understood him was gone forever, and even as he desperately tried to find a way to bring her back something in the back of his mind told him it was impossible. King Minos was a source of comfort, at least, keeping him from the pain by training him to use his powers until he passed out. He had to get stronger. He had to take the soul who had cheated death if he wanted to see Bianca again. Nothing mattered except his mission._

_But his mission failed._

_So Nico stayed away from everybody else. He stayed away so he didn't contaminate them with his darkness. That was okay with everybody else, too, because they didn't want him around, either. He had been on his own for a couple of years. He'd be fine._

_He'd be fine._

No, Nico, sweet child. Go back to camp. Be happy.

_When he made plans with Percy about using the Styx to make him invincible, Nico had been so hopeful. Maybe Percy would love him back once they fought in the war together. Maybe he would just be good friends with Annabeth, and he would see Nico the way the son of Hades wanted him to. Nico would love him more than Annabeth ever could._

_But Percy had told him to stay in the Underworld to beg his father to join the war against the titans, even after he had saved him from rotting away. He couldn't say no to Percy. So he had talked to Hades, and they had finally joined the fight._

_Winning the war was awesome, and for the first time in a while, Nico was happy. He smiled as the other campers congratulated him on his fighting skills, thanked him for coming to help them. They liked him, at least for that moment. But when Percy gave up immortality for Annabeth Chase, he knew he had lost another fight._

_The next few months were a blur. Camp Jupiter needed him, and so he went. Sometimes he would visit Camp Half-Blood, but most of the time he stayed away, unable to face Percy. How could he, when Annabeth made him happy in all the ways Nico could not?_

_But when Percy went missing, Nico had all but lost his mind looking for him. He had to save Percy, because Percy was important. The world needed him._

_Then Camp Jupiter again, reuniting with the son of Poseidon. Percy left shortly on his quest with Hazel and Frank, and Nico left too, to find the Doors of Death and close them. He was the son of Hades; he was powerful enough to do this._

_He stood at the edge of the world, the entrance to Tartarus gaping below him. If he lived, cool. If he died, oh well. Nico wasn't afraid of death. A part of him wished he would die, so maybe he'd never have to see the world above ever again._

<> 

_Everything was cold and dark. Nico was completely alone. Nightmarish monsters, real and imaginative, pursued him until he screamed and begged for mercy. Claws spilled blood and fangs drove deep. He weakened with every passing hour. There was no food, no water, no shelter. There was nothing. There was nobody._

_Nico wasn't sure what kept him going. He went on autopilot, staggering towards what he hoped was the right direction like a zombie. The undersides of his arms itched and burned from when he had clawed them bloody, desperate to feel something, anything at all. His mouth was so dry his tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth. He was so sleep-deprived he could no longer tell what was real and what was fake._

_But he kept walking._

_And walking._

_And walking._

<> 

_If you asked Nico how he escaped, he would probably mumble something about shadow-travel and being really lucky. That was a lie. The only reason he got out was because a pair of twin giants kidnapped him and stuck him in a jar._

_Gods, he hated that jar. He hated it with a burning passion. It closed in on him, crushing him into nothingness. It kept him from sleeping, even though he had literally nothing else to do. But Nico was also afraid of going to sleep and never waking back up._

_When Percy, Hazel, and everybody else rescued him, he was completely in disbelief they had actually gone out of their way to save him. Nico chalked it up to them feeling bad for him. That made sense._

_The Argo ll. Percy and Annabeth falling into Tartarus. The Fates must have been having a field day, Nico thought numbly as he and the other heroes took off. The days blurred, he fought alongside Jason and Piper and Leo, and his sister, Hazel, and Frank. One week after the other. Keep your head up._

_And then, Croatia._

_Nico had been in a good mood that day. He and Jason could get the Scepter of Diocletian and hit the road, maybe even get something to eat on the way out. But when Favonius met them in the basement of the old palace, something in Nico began to die a little. When the wind told Nico that he would have to face Cupid if he wanted to scepter, it took all his self-control to not shadow-travel the hell out of there._

Why were you so afraid? I was going to help you.

 _"_ _So."_

_The eerie voice rushed by Nico's ear, making him back up and draw his sword. "You come to claim the scepter."_

_Oh gods. Oh gods. Shit._

_"_ _Cupid? Where are you?" Jason called, raising his sword warily._

It was very strange, hearing his own voice.

 _"W_ _here you least expect me, as Love always is."_

Uneasiness and worry rose in Cupid's gut, making him tense. Something was wrong. Why were they so scared?

_Jason was struck so hard he went flying through the air and skidded into a dug-out basement. Nico ran after him to help the son of Jupiter, anger building within his skinny frame. They should have never come._

_An arrow materialized from thin air and raced towards Nico. Jason deflected it with his sword just before it could hit Nico, sending it into a wall. It exploded and almost knocked the two demigods off their feet, showering them with limestone. When they bolted away they were almost crushed by a falling pillar._

I pushed that, Cupid remembered. That was my doing.

_Nico and Jason fought bitterly, and Cupid shot at Nico for the second time. The arrow landed between his feet. Nico barely got out of the way before it burst into white flame._

_"_ _Love is on every side," Cupid laughed, his voice echoing, "And no one's side. Do not ask what love can do for you."_

_Leave me alone, please, I'm not ready-_

_Jason swung his sword at something that had been behind him, and golden blood sprayed across the stone floor._

_"_ _Very good, Jason. At least you can feel my presence. A mere glimpse of true love is more than most heroes manage."_

Stop! Stop that!

 _"-_ _Will you give us the scepter?" Jason yelled._

 _"_ _Unfortunately, you could not control it. Only a child of the Underworld can summon the dead legions. And only an officer of Rome can lead them."_

 _"_ _But.." The son of Jupiter seemed troubled for a second before shaking his head. "Just leave that to us. Nico can summon-"_

_An arrow whipped by Jason's shoulder, almost too fast to see. It buried itself in Nico's arm, and he gave a shocked gasp that sounded more like a sob._

Stop! Cupid shouted, but he couldn't move. Stop hurting him! You can't hurt that child, he's already in too much pain!

 _"_ _Enough games!" Nico shouted, clutching his arm. "Show yourself!"_

 _"_ _It is a costly thing, looking upon the face of true love." Cupid knocked over another pillar and flew by the two demigods._

" _My wife Psyche learned that lesson," he said amusedly. "She was brought here eons ago when this was the site of my palace. We met only in the dark. She was warned to never look upon me, but she could not stand the mystery. She feared I was a monster. One night, she lit a candle, and beheld my face as I slept."_

_Jason called back a taunt, trying to pinpoint the god's location._

_"_ _I was too handsome, I'm afraid. A mortal cannot gaze upon the true appearance of a god without consequences. My mother, Aphrodite, cursed Psyche for her distrust. My poor lover was tormented, forced into exile, given horrible tasks to prove her worth. She was even sent to the Underworld on a quest to show her dedication. She earned her way back to my side, but she suffered greatly."_

_A lightning blast blinded the old palace sight. Jason stared at the burn spot, wide-eyed, before getting slapped sideways. His sword fell from his grasp. Then, he was almost crushed when a wall almost fell on him._

_"_ _Stop it!" Nico screeched. "It's me you want. Leave him alone!"_

 _"_ _Poor Nico di Angelo," Cupid sighed in disappointment. "Do you know what you want, much less what I want? My beloved Psyche risked everything in the name of Love. It was the only way to atone for her lack of faith. And you- what have you risked in my name?"_

_Nico spit. "I've been to Tartarus and back. You don't scare me."_

_"I_ _scare you very, very much. Face me. Be honest."_

_Nico shook, gasping for breath as the vegetation around him withered and died. The ground shuddered. Again, he demanded Diocletian's scepter, and again, Cupid attacked and brutally beat him. Nico's fear and pain was so great he thought he might die._

_"_ _Nico," Jason yelled. "What does this guy want from you?"_

 _"_ _Tell him, Nico di Angelo," the god of love ordered. "Tell him you are a coward, afraid of yourself and your feelings. Tell him the real reason you ran from Camp Half-Blood, and why you are always alone."_

NO! He's not a coward! Cupid snarled, clawing at the invisible bindings keeping him from moving, from leaving the memories. You have no right!

_Nico's guttural scream split the air like knives. The dead crawled from the Earth to come to their lord's aid. Jason staggered as the son of Hades' agony hit his mind's eye. Nico shouted hoarsely for the skeletons to attack, and they did._

_"_ _Interesting! Do you have the strength, after all?" Cupid asked._

 _"_ _I left Camp Half-Blood because of love," Nico cried frantically. "Annabeth, she-"_

" _Still hiding,"Cupid hissed. A skeleton was smashed to pieces. "You do not have the strength."_

Shut up! Shut up! He's strong enough, stop **hurting** him!

_Jason was begging Cupid to leave him alone, to stop hurting him, but Nico knew he had to tell him. He had no choice, he couldn't do it any longer. Once Jason knew, he would kill Nico, or at least banish him from the Argo ll. That was how it was for people like him. That's how it always would be._

_"_ _I-I wasn't in love with Annabeth." Nico's voice was shattered and weak._

 _"_ _You were jealous of her," Jason said "That's why you didn't want to be around her. Especially why you didn't want to be around... him. It makes total sense."_

_Nico felt the life drain from him. He almost collapsed, he was hurting so bad._

_"_ _I hated myself. I hated Percy Jackson," he whispered. He felt disconnected from his body, like someone else was speaking from his mouth._

_Nico inhaled shakily, fighting back the tears. "I had a crush on Percy. That's the truth. That's the big secret."_

_He looked up to see Cupid, red eyes blazing like poison. Nico fought the urge to throw up from anxiety-_

Nico's mind left that memory, skipping to another. Every moment he had been miserable, Cupid was there, feeling it like it was his own pain.

_He stood on top of the mast that night, staring down at the water below. Nico stared at the dark ocean, trying to muster up the courage. It would be high enough, he knew._

_Do it. The others will be fine without you._

_A cold wind blew, making him shiver._

_Do it._

_Nico shifted forward._

Cupid shrieked in horror, but only in his own thoughts. Please, make it stop, make it stop. He tried to move, to get Nico down, but he was trapped. Where were the others? Couldn't they tell Nico needed their help?

The entire universe lurched.

He fell through his own mind, through sounds and places and endless lonely nights.

 _This is who you are,_ somebody said. More voices agreed, like a jury deciding his fate.

Cupid stumbled as he found himself back on the back of the River Cocytus, just in time to watch Nico fall in.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I listened to Sam Tsui's cover of "Human" by Christina Perri while editing this and yeah send help


	23. Depression? Haven't Heard That Name In Years.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karma's a bitch, isn't it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah I almost cried writing this.

Part of him registered the fact that he really needed to get moving, because Nico was in danger, but he couldn't. Cupid stared, eyes so wide they ached, into utter nothingness. He was completely paralyzed.

What had he-

What had just happened. What did he just see.

_No._

At last, he snapped out of it.

"... Nico." He took off, flapping furiously and gasping for breath. _"_ _Nico!"_

He circled above the River Cocytus, desperately searching for a flash of pale skin or dark hair. When he saw none he took off downstream.

_No. No, please be okay. I command you to be okay._

His rapid breathing was the only sound he was registering. The thick fog that seemed to hang about everywhere in the Underworld seemed to choke him, making him stumble midair, dragging him down. Coughing, he dove closer to the rushing water, panic rising higher and higher within him until it was the only thing he could feel. The rest of the world was muted, distant.

As it turned out, he hadn't needed to worry so much. Somebody else had already dragged Nico to shore.

Once he saw the broken body on the rocks below he shot downwards so fast he could have probably out-flown a missile. He came to a screeching halt before Nico, who was half on the shore, half still in a little pool of water that had accumulated in a dip in the rocks. Jagged stones surrounded him, almost making it look like they were imprisoning the unconscious son of Hades.

Cupid collapsed to his knees. Slowly, he looked up to the boy's rescuer.

"Lady Achlys," he rasped.

The goddess of misery sighed, giving Nico's hair a gentle pat. "I couldn't let the river take him. Especially when you've done my job so well for me!"

"What do you mean?"

Achyls cackled, the sound offset by the continuous stream of tears rolling down her face. "Oh, God of Love. You know exactly what I mean."

Before Cupid could respond, she vanished into thin air.

He sat there for a second longer, his thought process failing him.

Slowly, Cupid crouched over Nico and shook him gently. "Come on, Nico. Wake up. We've got to get you back to the flat."

Nico's head lolled gently. He didn't wake up, even when Cupid shook him a little harder.

He whispered his name again and again, shaking his head. The boy's body was cold and limp. Then, slowly, he pressed his ear to Nico's chest to locate his heartbeat.

There was none.

A scream so awful it seemed to make the Cocytus itself tremble split the air.

 _"_ _Nico!_ Nico, wake up, you must _wake up!"_ he cried. His breathing was coming faster and faster, and when he moved, his vision tilted dangerously.

The sound of multiple pairs of wings beating made him turn in alarm. Psyche and some of the other Erotes were thundering down to them, all their faces masks of shock.

"He's not breathing, he doesn't have a _heartbeat,_ Psyche, why doesn't he have a heartbeat?!" Cupid wailed.

 _"_ _Move."_ She all but shoved him aside and began doing fast compressions on Nico's skinny chest. Under her breath, she counted to twenty before pinching his nose and breathing air into him.

Cupid felt like he was watching from a thousand miles away as his wife did everything she could to force life back into Nico's body. Nothing else was important in the world but saving that child. A strange lump was growing in his throat, spreading down his chest, his stomach, burning him up from the inside out.

"Nico, bub. Come on. Come _back._ You can do it." Psyche inhaled roughly, tears in her beautiful dark eyes. "You've been through worse shit than this. Please, come back."

Something made Cupid's feathers stand up, and he turned to see the other Erotes, all glaring at him so hatefully he flinched.

"Hey, Nico, we still have to save Will. You gotta get up, the _Keres_ are gonna find us- _Nico!_ Nico, you gotta breathe!" Psyche begged.

"Do we... do we bring him to a mortal hospital?" Himeros whispered hoarsely.

"This-" Anteros' voice cracked. "This isn't something a hospital can fix."

Ice water coated Cupid as Anteros said that, like the words themselves were sinking into his bones and rendering him helpless. A kind of horrendous finality stole the air from his lungs as Psyche started crying feebly.

And Nico did not stir.

Cupid felt so weak he could barely breathe, but he reached out and pressed his hand to Nico's forehead. The rest of the world fell away. A strange sensation within him rose, growing larger and larger, until his entire being shook with it. It flooded his mind, his heart, every feather on his wings. It was too much and not enough, like a flood to a man dying of thirst.

He latched on to the feeling and opened his eyes. "Come back to me."

Nico's chest expanded rapidly, and he coughed so hard his entire body spasmed. It was the rough cry of a newborn, the rebirth of a fire that had long since faded to embers. Cupid had never heard a more beautiful sound.

"Oh, shit!" Psyche gasped, gathering Nico in her arms, burying her face in his hair and crying. Himeros smiled so wide it looked more like a grimace, throwing his arms around the pair. The other Erotes cried out in relief, laughing tearfully and slapping each other on the back and gathering around Psyche and the son of Hades. Nico opened his eyes. His gaze was unfocused, confused, but he was alive and that was all that mattered.

Cupid thought he might faint in relief. He moved to join them, but froze when Psyche pulled Nico closer to her, like she was shielding him. Her face darkened.

The rush of air over several more pairs of wings made them all look up. Hymen and Hermaphrodite had arrived, covered in sweat and bloody scratches.

"We have to go. The _Keres_ are gonna be here any minute, and there's a _lot_ of them," Hermaphrodite wheezed, sounding pained.

"Will Solace-" Himeros protested, but was cut off by Hymen.

"Will Solace will have to wait just a bit longer. We can't fight all of them and protect Nico at the same time." Hymen stood, cinder-gray wings spread. Almost at the same time, the other love gods scrambled to their feet, glancing warily back up the River Cocytus.

Cupid stood as well, taking a few shaky steps. "Shall I take Nico, Psyche? You're not big enough to-"

"No," she snapped, and took off. Hymen and Himeros shoved by him hard enough to make him stumble. Anteros was the last of the rest of them to take flight, instead blocking him from following. Cupid wordlessly let him all but drag him into the air a moment after, letting himself go completely numb.

<> 

He didn't remember the rest of the flight back.

They touched down on the balcony after an hour's flight, chilled from the merciless winter sky- that much he could recall. The stars blinked coldly at him as he walked in with the others, like they were enjoying his loneliness. Why weren't his friends talking to him? Why wasn't his wife talking to him?

Why did he feel all wrong inside?

Psyche carried Nico upstairs to the bedroom he had been staying in. He stared after her.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Pothos shift in his seat, and when he turned to look at the other Erotes none of them met his gaze. Even Himeros, who was as good as his brother, turned his back. The gray-winged god muttered something to Pothos, too quiet for Cupid to hear.

Cupid swallowed even though his mouth felt completely dry.

Maybe he'd go see if Nico was alright. Yes, he would do that. Perhaps Psyche would finally speak to him as well.

Silently, he went up the stairs. Just as he was about to knock on Nico's door, it swung open to reveal Psyche, who stiffened when she saw who it was.

He stepped sideways to go around her, but Psyche blocked him from entering.

"I want to see him," he said.

"No. Downstairs."

"But-"

"Downstairs. _Now."_

He backed away, more than a little scared. Of what, he knew not. But he did as he was told and slipped back down to the living room. He felt his wife's eyes burning into the back of his head the entire time.

When they were all in the living room together, Psyche turned to look at him. It was her expression that terrified him- or rather, the lack of. She looked at him like one would look upon a dead relative, or perhaps a dying hound on the side of the road. For a long moment, there was no sound but the distant wailing of police sirens.

"Do you mind explaining what we saw down in the Underworld? Because I don't get it. I don't have the words," Psyche asked softly.

Himeros rose from the couch. "Don't worry, dude, because I sure do." He turned to Cupid with his teeth bared. "What the absolute _fuck,_ you psychopathic bastard."

Pothos nodded in agreement.

"I... I didn't..." Cupid whispered.

"You didn't _what?"_ Psyche hissed.

"I didn't know. I-I thought I was helping him, I swear. He was just going to keep that inside of him until he died, he-"

"How do you know that?"

Cupid opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out.

"That's what I thought," she murmured. "You thought it was your place to out him."

"He didn't- he needed to know who he was."

Psyche turned to face him. She tilted her head as she regarded everybody else, and then looked back into his eyes. "He needed to know who he was."

"Y-yes."

"He needed..." She blinked. Then she sucked in a breath.

 _"_ _He needed to know who he was?!_ Cupid, he was fourteen! _Nobody_ is supposed to know who the _fuck_ they are at fourteen! That's not how it _fucking works!"_ she screamed. "And you, you... you beat him up! You assaulted a _kid!"_

Cupid was shaking now.

"That's right, motherfucker. You think about how you drove the demigod you came to love so much to the point of almost committing suicide. You think about how much Nico's been through, how much he _survived._ That boy came from the nineteen-fricking-forties, Homophobia World Supreme, into this time period with only his sister, who he lost, and then goes through more than most in just a few years. As a _pre-teen._ And then he's stuck on a quest with _you,_ the god who fucking scarred him for life." Psyche unzipped her jacket and tossed it on the couch.

"How did you treat him when we weren't there?" Himeros spoke up.

A snowy forest flashed through Cupid's mind, Nico trembling in the snow.

 _Weak and a coward,_ he had told the boy.

Nico not saying anything to him in the old man's cabin.

All of the times he had taunted Nico about his seemingly irrational fear replayed in his thoughts. His breathing became uneven.

It was him. This whole time, Nico had feared _him._

Himeros must have read the expression on his face. He snarled and clenched his fists, looking like he wanted nothing more than to punch Cupid with everything he had.

Psyche scrubbed at her tearstained face. "What happened to you? What happened to my husband? You used to be so gentle and kind..."

Cupid stared at her helplessly, not knowing what kind of answer she wanted.

"Well. This is you now, I guess. Wow," she rasped.

"I'm still the god of love. I'm still the man you married," he got out.

"Who I married..." Her gaze became distant. "The prophecy... the prophecy was right." She tugged at her braids. "Shit, I'm so _stupid._ All those years ago. How could I not have seen it? The Oracle told me I would marry a monster. And I did."

"Psyche-"

 _"_ _This whole damn time!_ I became the goddess of the human soul because I understood suffering. I did my best to help mortals when they suffered, gave them strength in their darkest times, protected them from their inner demons. But this whole time I should have been protecting them from _you!"_

Cupid stepped back, wings hanging slack. He shook his head at her. His eyes were burning for some reason, like boiling water welling up from his sockets.

"So how many? How many have you done this to?" she demanded.

He said nothing.

"That's what I thought."

Hymen fiddled with one of his throwing knives, like he was considering slicing Cupid up right there and then.

"And I suppose you all are perfectly innocent?" Cupid asked. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Hedylogos stiffen.

Psyche's eyes narrowed. "Of course not. No god is perfect, no matter what we like to think. But at least I can say for certainty I've never beaten somebody up or mentally abused them. Because that's who you are, Cupid. You're an abuser."

Cupid kept shaking his head, his vision blurring.

His wife's dark eyes were as cold as the winter night outside. "I just hope this stays with you the rest of your existence."

She turned her back to him and went back up the stairs.

Because he couldn't stand the feeling of all the other gods' eyes on him he sprinted after her. When he walked into their bedroom he found her shoving stuff into a backpack.

"I regret everything I did. You know that, right?" he asked desperately.

Psyche looked at him for a long moment. "Sure. But what are you going to do about it?"

"I-I don't know. I'll figure something out, I promise..." he blinked in confusion as she shoved her headphones into the backpack. "What are you doing?"

"Leaving."

That almost did him in right there and then. _"_ _What?"_

"You heard me. I'm out of this bitch."

"Where are you going?"

"I dunno. Somewhere."

"What about Nico?"

She paused in her work. Then she turned and stormed over to him with her eyes full of fury, wings exploding from her back in a shower of light and casting the dark room into blinding star-shine.

"Listen the fuck up, you bastard. You better take care of that kid. You make things _right,_ and you figure out what to do with yourself, by yourself. Everybody else except Himeros is coming with me."

"What?" he repeated dumbly.

"Himeros is staying because I'm not leaving you alone with Nico. Oh, and if you even _think_ about contacting Voluptas, your ass is _dead."_

"She's my daughter!"

Psyche raised her middle finger at him. "I'm leaving. Bye."

"How long will you be away?" he cried as she stomped by him.

She turned to look at him out of the corner of her eye. "Who said I was coming back?"

And with that, she was gone.

Cupid stared in utter disbelief at the empty doorway.

Slowly, and not at all gracefully, he let himself sit down on the carpet. There was a strange ringing in his ears. The world wasn't real anymore, not as far as he could tell. Nothing was right, or even wrong, it was just dark and terrifying.

The city lights visible outside the window was the only source of illumination, but it was enough to make something small and lustrous glint on the nightstand. Cupid stared at it, and then realized it was Psyche's wedding ring.

Everything hit him at once. A loud, gasping breath left his body, like somebody had ran him through with a white-hot knife. He was alone. There was nothing.

For the first time in nearly five thousand years, Cupid wept.

 


	24. The Worst Ways To Begin Anew

Everything faded away after he had stepped into the River Cocytus, replaced by flashbacks to his darkest hours and the metallic taste of blood. Losing control, losing his mind, losing everything. It had lasted for a hundred thousand years before it stopped.

But at last, Nico dreamed.

He was on the shore of a glittering river, with a warm spring sun shining down on him and giving everything a golden glow. Long grasses swayed in the breeze. Down the bank, blackbirds called to each other in harsh, sweet trills. It was so peaceful Nico wanted to take off his shoes and go put his feet in the river.

"It's lovely, isn't it? This place is my favorite in all of New York City."

Nico turned to see a woman in an old-fashioned blue dress standing beside him. She was very pretty in the most comforting way, like he was looking at some version of his own mother. The woman smiled down at him with warm dark eyes, like Psyche's.

"Who are you?" he asked curiously. And what did she mean this was her favorite place in New York City? There weren't any nice fields with rivers in them the last time he checked.

"It doesn't really matter as much when you're dead, really. I thought it would be a bit scary, but it's not- quite the opposite, actually. But if you must know, in life I was called Eliza Hamilton."

"Hamilton?" That sounded familiar. "As in-?"

"The wife of Alexander Hamilton, yes. I wanted to talk to you."

Nico stared, confused. "Oh, okay. About what?"

"Forgiveness."

Now he was really confused. "What do I need to know about forgiveness?"

"Everything. Walk with me." Eliza drifted off down the shoreline, her dark hair blowing gently in the sweet breeze.

He caught up with her. For a few minutes, she didn't say anything, looking like she was content to just enjoy the weather.

"So... why did you want to talk to me?" he finally prompted.

"Many years, I was in a situation like yours. I was hurt very badly by somebody close to me, and for the longest time I didn't know what to do, what to feel." Eliza seemed distant for a moment, but not in a sad way- just thoughtful.

"Who hurt you?" Nico asked, wondering who in the history of the entire universe would do anything to hurt this nice lady.

"Alexander."

"Your husband?" Nico said, alarmed. Maybe when he was done here he could go find this Alexander Hamilton in the Underworld and give him a good 'talking-to'.

"Indeed. He thought he could get away with sleeping with a Miss Maria Reynolds behind my back. He confessed eventually, of course, but it was still awful," Eliza explained without a trace of sadness.

"Wow."

"Yeah," she agreed.

Nico kicked a pebble and sent it flying into the water. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Eliza smiled again. "I forgave him."

"Why?" Nico couldn't even imagine forgiving somebody for anything like that.

"It took several years, but at last I discovered the meaning of forgiveness."

Nico looked up at her in surprise. "What is it?"

"It's whatever you want it to be."

... Okay, now he was confused.

Seeing the look on his face, Eliza laughed. "Strange, isn't it?"

"But... but forgiving somebody means you're really to totally start over with them. It means you don't need to remember what they did to hurt you. That can't be the right thing to do," Nico protested.

"Forgiveness is whatever you want it to be," she said again. "For some people, it could just mean walking away. For others, it's forfeiting revenge. And for those who are willing, it means keeping whoever hurt them in their life, and loving them all the same. You don't have to forget what he did to you, Nico. Maybe, if you could find it within yourself to understand how much he's come to care about you, you could do the same for him."

Nico didn't know how Eliza knew about the whole thing with Cupid, but he didn't bother asking. "I... I care about him. He's my friend."

Eliza nodded approvingly.

"But... how do I know he understands what he did?"

"You don't. Personally, I believe Cupid has changed greatly, thanks to you. But the choice is yours. The choice is _always_ yours."

With that, the dream faded, and Nico woke.

<> 

When his eyes opened he felt strange.

He grunted and stretched. The familiar smell of the flat in Chicago hit his nose, and he smiled a little. For whatever reason, he had really missed this place. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, he guessed.

Then he remembered. _Will._

Nico bolted out of bed and all but teleported down the stairs. He spotted Cupid on the couch, gazing forlornly out the window. It was weirdly quiet, like everybody else was gone, but that didn't matter now.

"Cupid?"

Cupid jumped and whirled around to face Nico. "You're awake!"

Nico braced himself to get tackled and hugged until he couldn't breathe, Cupid-style, but the love god stayed where he was, staring at him with blank eyes. The son of Hades blinked once, disappointed. "What happened? Where's Will?"

The god visibly slumped. "There were too many _Keres._ We had to retreat."

Nico swore, but he refused to throw a fit about it. They would try again tonight. They'd try as many times as they had to. He sighed tiredly and flopped down on the couch with Cupid. Even though he wasn't looking at his face, he could feel Cupid looking down at him. The tense energy coming off the god made the hair on the back of his neck prickle.

Something bad had happened.

"Where is everybody?" he asked, still unsettled by the emptiness of the flat. Himeros wasn't singing karaoke on the stairwell. Psyche wasn't jumping around the living room, making meme references and filling the whole building with her laughter. Hymen wasn't bitching at anybody as he tried to read _Lord of the Rings_ in peace. Nico was no longer constantly on the verge of sneezing from the feathers that found their way into literally everywhere.

"They're... out."

Okay, what the hell.

Nico sat up. "Cupid, what happened? Are you okay?"

The god's shoulders shook, like he was laughing, but no sound came out. "Am I okay. What a question for you to ask."

Nico scooted over to Cupid and gently pushed against him, starting to worry. The god didn't protest, just squeezed his eyes shut like he was trying to block out a painful vision.

At last, he heaved a breath. "I did something terrible once."

Nico looked up at him. Those were the exact words he had started with when he had told Cupid about Bryce Laurence.

"When you stepped into the River Cocytus to feed the _Keres_ misery, they weren't the only ones who saw what you were projecting."

Oh.

Oh shit.

This was bad. This was really bad.

"What..." Nico broke off with a cough. "What did you see?"

Cupid stared past him. "Everything."

A small part of him began screaming.

"Oh. Uh... crap. Sorry."

"What? _Sorry?"_ Cupid spluttered, staring down at Nico like he had grown another head. "What in the Heavens are you sorry for?"

"I mean, that was probably... bad. Scary," Nico offered, not really getting where the love god was going with all of this.

Cupid shook his head, his wings loosening a little like he was trying to protect himself from everything else in existence.

"So... you saw... Croatia."

The god didn't meet his eyes when he nodded.

Nico leaned back, his head feeling fuzzy.

This was becoming way too real.

Every day of the last month and a half or so had come down to this. Hell, the last few years of Nico's _life_ had come down to this. The humiliation, the anxiety, the nightmares. But now, the god who had scarred him so badly was sitting across from him, head hanging in defeat and looking every minute of his five-thousand years.

"So, how do you feel about all of that?" he prompted.

"I..." Cupid blinked furiously. "What is there left to feel but regret?"

At that Nico's head cleared, making way for the growing anger that threatened to consume him. Had it really taken _this_ much to make Cupid realize what he had done? All this time, had he really been that willingly blind to his wrongdoings? Several thousand years of existence, and he had only learned last night the consequences of mentally and physically tormenting people.

But just as quickly as the rage came, it drained out of him like pus from a wound, leaving him exhausted. He _wanted_ to be angry. But no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't muster the energy to let out everything their first encounter had planted within him.

"Why did you hurt me?" he whispered.

Cupid looked so torn apart it made Nico's heart sting. He was no longer the proud god the son of Hades had fought in Croatia, or even the teammate he had come to let his guard down around. Amber eyes focused on empty space, and when he spoke, it was barely above a whisper.

"Because I could."

It was a short and simple answer, but contained all the honesty and remorse Nico didn't even think a god could have.

Cupid heaved a tired breath. "Many, many years ago, Apollo enjoyed tormenting me for my insignificance as a minor god. He told me I would never be powerful enough, never _good_ enough to be anybody. I would fade in due time, like so many others did. I was emotionally about your age, and very temperamental. Immature as I was, I sent him after the nymph Daphne- you know this story."

Nico nodded.

"As I watched Apollo weep over his lost love, I had never felt stronger. It was then I realized that even though I was less powerful, less important than other gods, I had the power to bring even the mightiest to their knees. I suppose that was the root of my epic journey into becoming the most awful being to ever grace this universe. The other part of it was, of course, that I'm naturally a petty bitch."

Nico snorted softly, despite himself.

"It's progress, I suppose. But now, I..." Whatever lightheartedness the love god had mustered towards the end of his little diatribe withered away. "I don't even deserve to be a god anymore. Psyche was right to leave."

"Wait, what? Where did Psyche go?"

Cupid laughed, even as a single tear made its way down his face, something that startled Nico even more. "You don't think a goddess as good as she would look past the things we all saw at the River Cocytus? She left me, Nico. So did the other Erotes, save Himeros. She didn't want to leave you alone with me."

Nico could only stare at him in utter disbelief. _No._

No, she couldn't have left him. She couldn't have just... _no!_

"Don't waste your tears on me, child. I deserved all of this." Cupid squeezed his eyes shut, like he was trying to block out everything he could.

For several minutes, Nico didn't trust himself to speak. He felt abandoned, angry, like he had been when he learned his mother was dead. Except this time, the goddess who had cared for him like her own son had left him willingly.

"Nico, I... no matter what happens, no matter where the Fates direct us, I will always care about you. _Nothing_ could make me do otherwise. What I've done will haunt me until the day I fade, but if it reminds me to be a better god, then it is a burden I carry willingly. I am-" He broke off with a harsh sob. " _I am so sorry."_

Nico should have felt triumph at Cupid's past-due apology, but all he could do was swallow back tears as the god he had come to consider as good as family broke down in front of him. He didn't even have to imagine how much pain Cupid was in right now; it was coming right off him in never-ending waves.

In that moment, he realized what Eliza Hamilton had been talking about.

He threw his arms around Cupid's neck and hugged him tightly, burying his face in the god's shoulder. "I know. I forgive you, Cupid."

Cupid froze. For a second Nico wondered if he didn't want to be touched, but then the love god was clinging to him like the son of Hades was his lifeline, and that's how they stayed until the sun was at its highest in the cold winter sky.

<> 

Somehow they ended up laying on the living room carpet, discussing battle plans and eating popcorn. Well, Nico was eating popcorn, after he asked Cupid if it counted as cannibalism since he had once been transformed into a corn plant. The love god looked very concerned and refused to touch the popcorn since.

"So since trying to draw out all of the Keres at once obviously isn't going to work, I was thinking you could sneak in invisible and try and figure out a clear path to Will," Nico explained. "But I don't know what we would do after that."

Cupid tilted his head. "I am an empath of sorts. I could project an image into your mind of where Will is, you shadow-travel in and grab us, and we... what is that human saying? Oh, yes, 'haul ass'."

"That... actually might work. Dang, I wish I had a god with me whenever I went on a quest for the past five years of my life."

He smiled and ruffled Nico's hair. "That would have made everything almost manageable."

"Manageable? What's that mean?"

"Oh, hush."

The sound of bones cracking sounded from upstairs, and Himeros made an appearance, looking bedraggled as he tried to work out some stiffness from his back. Then he spotted Nico and Cupid sitting on the living room carpet.

The gray-winged god stared at Cupid with visible distaste, then at Nico with the most confused look the son of Hades had ever seen on anyone. He blinked several times, and then slowly walked down the stairs, went into the kitchen, and went back up the stairs with a jar of mayonnaise.

"What's he doing with that mayonnaise?" Nico muttered.

"There's a very noisy family across the street. He likes flicking globs of mayonnaise at their window whenever he's in a bad mood."

"Oh."

Nico turned back to Cupid. "I'll... talk to them. They can't stay angry at you forever." Somehow, he felt responsible for getting the god's friends back, not to mention Psyche. He was still mad at her for leaving, no doubt about that, but he'd be damned if he didn't talk to her about everything. He'd forgiven Cupid. This whole mess didn't have to mark the end of their marriage.

His teammate seemed like he could sense what Nico was thinking. He closed his amber eyes, tiredness stealing over his features. Nico bumped his shoulder against his arm and hauled himself to his feet. "We should probably get going. Hopefully the _Keres_ won't expect us to attack again so soon."

"That would be lovely, indeed. Drink water before we leave; you humans and your ridiculous reliance on staying hydrated-"

A muffled curse came from upstairs, and Himeros came literally flying down from the second floor. "Oh shit, what-!"

"Himeros?" Cupid said, alarmed. Nico gripped the handle of his sword.

"Yo, we've got trouble coming our way! Pothos just Iris-messaged me."

 _"_ _Keres?"_ Cupid asked tersely.

Himeros looked pale. "Uh, no. It's your daughter."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah this was an emotional rollercoaster lmao
> 
> But yeah this weekend is my first swim meet in Chicago! I have never swam competitively before in my life! I am internally screaming! Send good energy my way, all you lovely folks who have good energy to spare. And send comments. Every bit of feedback gives me +500 Strength.


	25. Hello Darkness My Old Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Cupid's daughter is pretty cool and you all are probably going to hunt me down and beat my ass.

"Psyche is going to kill me," Cupid muttered under his breath, but before Nico could ask what he was talking about there was a quick rapping on the door. Then the door was all but kicked in by a lovely young lady in combat boots and a studded leather jacket. She strode in like she owned the place before marching up to Cupid and crossing her arms.

Her demeanor reminded Nico a little bit of Eris, but she looked so much like Psyche it was hard to connect the goddess of war and this chick together. She was dark-skinned with her hair in braids, like her mother, but she was taller and more chubby than muscular. Nico was reminded of a biker gang of all women he had seen in a magazine somewhere.

"What's up," she said dryly.

Cupid sighed. "I know what you're going to say-"

She held up a hand. "Mom already took the piss out of you; I come in peace. If she hadn't I would have already drop-kicked you all the way back to Croatia."

"Fair enough. Voluptas, meet Nico di Angelo, son of Hades." Nico was gently nudged forward by a gentle hand.

He stared up at the goddess, not sure what to say to the daughter of the guy who he had been on the quest with for the past... how long had it even been? A month? A month and a half? Definitely one of the longest quests he'd been on.

Voluptas grinned. "So _you're_ Dad's new favorite. I have to admit, it might be hard adjusting to not being the only child anymore."

"I-I'm not- uh..." he stammered, but Voluptas just laughed and threw an arm around his shoulders. She smelled like flowers and motorcycles.

"So yeah, I'm in on the fun and games since everybody else decided to bail. I'll help you get your boyfriend back," she promised. "So when do we leave?"

"Whoa whoa whoa, young lady! You're not going anywhere without saying goodbye to your favorite uncle." Himeros had apparently decided that no fights were about to break out and scrambled down the stairs to greet the goddess.

"I dunno about that, dude. You've got competition with Pothos," Voluptas sniggered as she hugged Himeros. The gray-winged god then muttered something in her ear, too low for Nico to hear, but whatever he said made Cupid stiffen. The cheer dropped from Voluptas's face, but she nodded in agreement.

Himeros drew back. He and Cupid locked eyes, and Nico felt a twinge of unease as the two gods shared a cold look. The son of Hades felt the urge to step in front of Cupid.

But Himeros left without another word.

Cupid turned to him and Voluptas, a pained smile on his face. "Shall we go?"

"Yeah." Nico picked up his backpack and quickly rummaged through it, making sure he had everything. It was possible that if everything went well, he wouldn't be coming back here tonight or tomorrow; whenever they got out of the Underworld with Will.

With Nico in the lead, the three of them headed to the roof to fly to New York.

The flight seemed shorter than the others they had taken even though the freezing air made the son of Hades miserable. Also, watching Voluptas dart all over the place on her giant russet wings gave him serious motion sickness. Maybe flying like a pigeon on crack ran in the family.

Once they arrived at Central Park Nico wasted no time in debriefing Voluptas on what had been happening the last month and a half. When it came to telling her about what Eos had almost done in Los Angeles he had a hard time getting the words out, but the goddess spared him any more discomfort by punching a hole through a tree to express her feelings for the titan.

"Once we beat the shit out of her there's not even gonna _be_ anything to go to the Void," Voluptas promised, cracking her knuckles.

"I worry that it might take more than just the three of us to take her down." Cupid looked distant. "Eos is ancient. Even with two gods and one of the most powerful heroes on Earth, I fear that she has more than a few tricks up her sleeve to ensure her victory."

Voluptas draped her arm around Nico's shoulders. "The thing is, it's not going to be just us. I'm going to find Mom and the others, and when I do, I'll drag them to the fight if that what it takes."

"We're not exactly on good terms," Cupid muttered.

Nico huffed. "Who cares what they think? If they don't help us then they suck."

"Yeah!"Voluptas agreed.

Then, Nico spotted the entrance to the Underworld, the massive boulder covering the entrance making it seem like nothing more than another pile of rocks in the park. He approached it, wondering whether he should start yelling _The Flintstones_ theme or the old _Spiderman_ one (he was beyond caring about who saw him singing) when quite unexpectedly the boulder simply moved out of the way.

Nico stared at it, wondering if the piece of rock had developed a mind of its own. "Uh..."

"Has that ever happened before?" Cupid questioned.

"Um, no. I'm a little suspicious." The son of Hades unsheathed his sword and prodded the boulder with it.

"Eos," the love god growled. He turned his glare to the sky.

Nico swallowed and cautiously stepped into the dark tunnel. Nothing looked or felt out of the ordinary. In front of him, the shadows stretched out endlessly, seemingly impenetrable by even the brightest rays of sunshine. A shaky exhale left his lips.

A cool hand clasped his shoulder. Nico reached up to cover it with his own. He wasn't alone, he told himself. He was going to be okay.

Nico looked up at Cupid. "Ready?"

Â "Whenever you are."

He smiled at that. With Voluptas guarding the rear in case anything tried to surprise them, the three of them descended the steps into the Underworld.

<> 

Of course, Nico realized without a trace of enthusiasm. Of course it wouldn't be so simple as to just check if the coast was clear at the end of the tunnel, sneak across the Underworld, and find the cave his boyfriend was trapped in. Of frickin' course.

Hades was waiting for them by the River Cocytus. The air was thick with the feelings of grief, as tangible as the mist the frothing water kicked up. The misery and anger the whole area seemed to project was only intensified by the presence of the god of the dead. When Nico met his father's eyes he immediately knew he was in some deep shit, not that he didn't know that before.

"The first time you and Eros came down here Persephone convinced me to look the other way. The second time I was busy with Zeus trying to free the gods that had been locked away in Tartarus. This time I cannot let it slide, as mortals like to say," Hades said coolly. The god didn't look that angry, but Nico knew his father well enough to see the crystallized anger lying just beneath his calm demeanor.

"Lord, I-" Nico began, but Hades cut him off with a glare.

"I don't need to hear what you have to say. The only explanation I want is from _you."_ Hades raised his head to meet Cupid's narrowed eyes. "You trespass on my kingdom three times, and you bring your wife, your brothers, and now your daughter. Those are insults I cannot forgive. What have you to say for yourself?"

"I can only offer my sincerest apologies, Lord Hades. Eos and the _Keres_ must be stopped, and if there was anything else I could have done to further our progress on our quest I would have done that," Cupid said quietly.

"You could have not disgraced my kingdom with your presence," Hades growled.

"Foul-tempered as always, Lord. But we're here to save Will Solace. We think Eos may have secretly hidden him in the outermost reaches of the Underworld, in those mountains over there." The love god nodded to the direction of the distant jagged peaks.

"Then Nico will go investigate. Alone."

Cupid's face twisted into a snarl, and he stormed towards Hades. "Why is it that I have done more for _your_ son than you have since he was born? Who was there to save him from the Keres? Who has tried to atone for everything I've done wrong to him? Who rescued and comforted Nico after Eos tried to _rape_ him? It certainly wasn't you. Now get out of our way before I send an arrow into your wife's heart and have her swoon for a satyr."

Hades's black eyes blew wide with shock. For a long moment, he and Cupid stared at each other without a word. Nico felt himself sweating from the tension.

At last, Hades stepped out of the way, expressionless.

Voluptas crossed first. She backed up, got a running start, and then leapt right over the water. Then Cupid scooped up Nico before he bounded over the river as well.

When they landed, Nico looked over the god's shoulder at his father. Hades stood on the other side of the River Cocytus, robes blowing lightly in the cold current of damp air that circulated throughout the Underworld. For a brief second they locked eyes, and then Nico was set back down.

"You alright?" Cupid murmured. Nico nodded.

They set off.

For over an hour the three of them did nothing but walk. Even Voluptas, who seemed like a total chatterbox to Nico, said nothing. Overhead, the Furies circled, back from Tartarus and apparently in a very good mood (a part of him was glad to see that they were back, a _very_ small part). Other than a few dive-bombs that scratched the top of Nico's head they didn't even bother to attack them.

Nico's heart was racing in his chest, and it wasn't just from the exercise. He was getting closer and closer to Will, he could feel it. Even if every _Keres_ in the world came after them once they reached the mountains he would not back down.

_Hang on, sunshine. I'm coming for you._

Slowly, the ground began to slope upward. Nico led the way, determination rejuvenating him and easing his sore muscles. Cupid and Voluptas took flight to scout ahead for _Keres_ or any sight of Will.

One step at a time, Nico followed them.

A shout from Voluptas had him scrambling up the rocky earth. Gasping for breath, he swung himself over a boulder and found himself face-to-face with one of the darkest caves he had ever seen, which was saying something.

The tunnel looked more like a black hole than anything, making Nico feel like he was getting sucked into that impenetrable void. He shivered and slowly approached it. Cupid put a hand on his shoulder, and Nico focused on that instead of whatever was waiting for them down there. He had two gods to back him up, one of which had just yelled at the Lord of the Dead himself and given zero fucks. he would be fine. They would all be fine.

"Something evil's in there. I can feel it," Voluptas muttered.

"Well, we better introduce ourselves, then." Cupid summoned his bow with a flick on his hand. Nico tried his best to be reassured by the intimidating gears along the middle part of it and the fact it was as big as he was.

The cave, unfortunately, was as unsettling as it seemed from the outside, probably because he couldn't see anything. Cupid apparently could, because he led the way without much hesitation. Nico ended up holding his hand like a toddler so he didn't run into anything and die. The love god's daughter, on the other hand, decided to start humming the _Jaws_ theme and poked Nico's shoulder to make him jump.

"Stop!" he hissed, slapping in the goddess's direction.

"You're whiny."

"You're annoying!"

 _"_ _Children,"_ Cupid warned.

"She started it!" Nico growled.

Cupid muttered something like "I'm never having _any_ more kids," before Nico realized a gentle breeze was cooling the sweat on his face.

"Stop! I feel air." ico grabbed the god's arm.

"I feel air all of the time," Voluptas snarked.

"Shut up, I meant I can feel air _moving."_ Nico carefully scooted around Cupid and inched forward as far as he dared. Sure enough, the faintest of breezes washed over his face, a little stronger this time.

"Stay behind me." Cupid took the lead again.

An echoing groan whispered through the cave before they even made it ten feet.

Nico stiffened in fear. _What the hell was that?_

Voluptas pushed him forward, and he reluctantly crept after Cupid, hoping the love god knew what he was doing. He realized the tunnel was beginning to curve as it wound downward into the earth's crust, so he used the stone wall to guide himself instead of just listening to Cupid's footsteps. But the further they went, the more the air thinned until Nico began to get seriously concerned as to whether he would be able to stay conscious until he found Will.

Cupid then stopped abruptly, and Nico smacked into a solid wall of feathers. "There's a light up there."

"What" Nico still couldn't see anything.

The god grabbed his hand and started running.

It took another hundred feet, but Nico finally saw what he was looking at. It was hardly there, glowing faint red in the pitch-black distance, but as they approached it the light became enough to light up the cave.

The stone morphed from black to reddish-gray, like it had been stained with blood. Silvery light streamed in from above, not moonlight, but instead some kind of strange glowing fungi. Sulfur-smelling water dripped down from stalactites. Further down another tunnel ahead of Nico, another light winked at him.

"Cupid, this is it! This is the cave from our dream!" Nico almost shouted. He broke into a sprint, barely registering the god's shout of alarm. _Hang on, Will, hang on-!_

An eerie shriek made his blood run cold.

He got thrown into the cave wall before he had the time to blink. The rattling hisses of _Keres_ were nearly deafening in the tunnel as they pounced on him, shredding a leg open despite Nico's scream of terror. Something long and bright whipped overhead, taking out two of the demons as it did. The arrow embedded itself in rock somewhere further down. More followed, giving the son of Hades room to move.

Nico slashed wildly at the space above him before rolling to his feet. More _Keres_ filed in from a crack in the floor and attacked Cupid and Voluptas. Thinking fast, he grabbed a rock and jammed it into the hole. Furious snarls emitted from below.

Grinning, Nico sprinted the rest of the length of the cave. The glowing cavern just up ahead grew brighter and brighter. He exploded into it, looking around wildly-

And found nothing.

Nico stared dumbly at the empty hollow, at the glowing fungi giving off the bright light that had been the main feature of his dreams for so long. Then his gaze traveled downward, to the gaping hole that led to nowhere. It was blacker than even the numerous tunnel systems he had found his way through on his way down.

Before he could even process any more emotions, Cupid was right behind him, firing off arrow after arrow to keep the _Keres_ at bay. When he saw what Nico was looking at, or rather, not looking at, he swore in what sounded like Croatian.

"We... we must be in the wrong place," Nico stammered. "Will should be here."

"We're in the right place- on your left, Voluptas! We're here." Cupid turned to look more closely at the pit in the center of the floor. Amber eyes widened.

"What is it? Is Will down there?" Nico said, trying to crush the growing hysteria that was threatening to send him into a panic.

"Dad! That wave was gone, but there's more coming! I can hear them!" Voluptas shouted.

"Hold them off for as long as you can!" Cupid yelled back. He shouldered his bow and looked down at Nico, looking scared. "Nico, that pit leads to Tartarus. I can feel it."

 _"_ _What?"_ Nico stepped closer, disbelieving. But when he did, he caught the faintest scent of sulfur, like how the water they had just passed had smelled. And with that smell came a rising sense of pure dread. He began to shake.

Cupid looked like his mind was going at a million miles an hour. "Oh, Heavens. No, please, Eos couldn't have..."

"What?" Nico repeated, voice hoarse with tears. "Where's Will?"

The love god took a shuddering breath. "Eos never said Will would _be_ in the Underworld, did she? She said to just look there."

Nico's heart pounded faster and faster. He knew what Cupid was about to say, but at the same time he wanted to cover his ears and scream.

"Will Solace is in Tartarus."

The angry hissing of _Keres_ hit Nico's ears over the roar of blood that pounded through his body. Cupid's words were fuzzy in his brain, indecipherable.

"Guys, they're coming!"

"Nico. Nico, look at me." Nico's eyes widened as Cupid took his face in his hands. "You don't have to do this. We'll figure something out, your father-"

"No."

Cupid stared at him. "What?"

"I'm going to Tartarus. I'm going to get my boyfriend back." He could barely get the words out, but he managed.

"You can't do this!"

"I _have_ to! I promised Will I'd save him!" Nico took a shuddering breath and faced the pit. His conscience felt like it was trying to escape his body. The rest of the world dropped away, leaving just him, the god of love, and the entrance to Tartarus in front of him.

Cupid closed his eyes. "Very well. But you won't be going alone."

Nico whipped around so fast something in his neck cracked. "Cupid, no-"

"Voluptas!" he shouted, cutting Nico off. "Find your mother and the Erotes! Tell them to meet us at the House of Hades!"

"Dad, what are you _doing?"_ the goddess shrieked. Nico saw her turn to glance at them in horror before she had to go back to fighting off the _Keres._

"Something extremely stupid! Tell Psyche... tell Psyche I love her." Cupid grabbed Nico's hand, lacing his fingers together so he could feel the love god hyperventilating. The son of Hades had never seen an immortal look so terrified in all his life.

Voluptas stared at them over her shoulder even as she stabbed a demon with a Celestial Bronze machete. Her dark eyes were full of tears, but she nodded.

Cupid turned to him. "Are you ready?"

Nico sucked in air like he was dying, but he nodded, ignoring the heat in his eyes. "You... Drag me in. I can't move."

In a flash he was picked up. Nico threw his arms around Cupid's neck and buried his face into his shoulder. The god took one step, two steps, three-

He felt the moment they hit the edge. They rotated, Cupid falling with his back to the abyss and wrapping his wings tight around Nico. He felt every millisecond that passed as gravity took hold. Air began to rush by his face.

Slowly, but all at once, they fell into nothing.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh yeah, managed to upload this on the 25th! Which is today, which is my birthday. B) Thanks for waiting for like a thousand years my dudes.
> 
> None of my old high school friends wished me happy birthday until I reminded them at like eight at night so I started a shitstorm in the group chat. Nobody but my mom knows that behind my chill façade I am the Pettiest of Bitches. Nobody.


	26. Nico VS Tartarus: Round 2

Never in a billion years would Nico have thought he would be doing this again. But here he was, free-falling into Tartarus by his own choice, clinging to the god he had sworn as his mortal enemy up until a few hours ago.

Part of him that was still in denial about what he had just done was forcing him to keep his eyes firmly shut, head shoved against Cupid’s neck for good measure. But even though he wouldn’t see anything even if his eyes were open, he was beginning to feel the air change from cold and dry to warm and moist, like the hot breath of a hellhound.

Nico did his best to fight off the overwhelming dread that threatened to consume him at the thought of laying eyes on the hellish world once more. Tartarus had more in store for whatever poor sucker went into it than the Fields of Punishment could ever dream of, and Nico had been through pretty much all of it. Starvation, dehydration, rapid weight loss, disease, insanity, paranoia... the list went on and on. The psychological wounds that had taken so long to soothe were about to get ripped open, and he had no idea if he would be able to survive that.

The universe really, really hated him.

 _Fine. Take it out on me all you want,_ Nico conceded. _But whatever happens, I’m getting Will out of here, and you can’t stop me. He’s not yours to keep._

It was then the all-too familiar scent of rotten eggs hit him, the same sulfur-y smell that had been in the cave and in his dreams. Tartarus had a very distinctive odor, one that Nico had never forgotten, and it stunk just as much as he remembered.

The whistling of air past their ears turned into more of a roar as the air became thicker and more acidic. They were getting close, something that was almost relieving to Nico, if not because they had been falling for what seemed like forever.

He opened his eyes.

Their surroundings were getting steadily more visible from the reddish light tinting the shaft they were falling down. In the blink of an eye, it opened into the familiar, enormous cavern that was Tartarus.

Its size still stunned Nico. It looked like the whole planet could sit on the vast plains, unending and impenetrable. Clouds of dissipated blood whipped by them as they fell farther and farther down. Below, Nico finally spotted the ground steadily growing larger and larger.

The first thing he saw was the mountain range. That wasn’t good; the bigger monsters liked to make shelters there before they continued on their way to the Doors of Death.

“Cupid! Coast through the mountains as far and fast as you can!” Nico yelled over the rushing of wind.

The world tilted around him as the god rolled over, readjusting Nico in the process. White wings slowly opened to their full extent. Leaning forward, Cupid amped up the speed and shot through the V two mountains made as they rushed up to greet them.

The black ground whipped by in a blur. Like a plane coming in for a landing, Cupid slowly descended and aimed for a hopefully abandoned mound of boulders.

He landed on the ground nearby, skidding a good thirty feet before coming to a complete stop. Cupid set Nico down, pale and slightly out of breath, like the blood-singed atmosphere was making it hard for him to breathe as well.

For a minute they just stared out at the expanse before them. Half a mile or so away, a lake of magma spit out a blinding tongue of flame that lit up the area. But even that was hard to see through the thick haze that draped over everything, suffocating Nico like a dusty blanket, weighing down on everything with an oppressive feeling of misery. The only thing that had changed about the place was how Nico saw it- he was seeing it through a filter, like Percy and Annabeth did during most of their journey. Nico guessed it was because of Cupid’s presence. Maybe even Tartarus shied away from the brilliant spirit of a true god.

“Never in five thousand years did I think I would see this place,” Cupid said softly, amber eyes still wide with shock.

“What a dump, am I right?” Nico rasped.

Cupid gave a humorless chuckle before shaking his wings out. They were bright enough even in the dim light to make Nico nervous about being spotted. “So, how are we going to find Will Solace?”

“We…” Nico’s mind raced. If you didn’t want to get jumped by every monster and their mother in Tartarus you had to jump _them_ first, take out the biggest and baddest one you could find and leave its corpse where others could see it. You had to take control.

But finding a monster that knew anything about where Will might be was probably as likely as coming out of this hellhole unscathed. No, Nico had to find somebody who knew Tartarus like their own backyard. Which, for a certain goddess, it practically was.

He turned to Cupid. “You’ve ever met Nyx?”

The love god shook his head, white feathers spiking up in fear. “Oh, _Heavens,_ no. Anybody but her Nico-!.”

“Too bad.” Nico grabbed Cupid’s hand and trudged forward. “If I remember correctly we’re already ahead of where I started my first time through here. It’s still an eight hour walk to Nyx’s mansion, so if it makes you feel better, we have a lot of time to prepare before we meet her.”

<> 

It was weird how easily he fell into the numb state he had developed to shield himself from the horrors of Tartarus.

Keep your eyes on the horizon. Listen carefully, but not too carefully. Don’t look at anything for too long. Walk like you have somewhere to be. Think about your friends and family waiting for you at the surface. They love you.

Think about Will.

He remembered a conversation they had a few months after they started dating. Will had woken him from a nightmare, and then held him until he calmed down.

 _“Tartarus?”_ he had asked.

Nico nodded.

Will sat with him in silence for a few minutes, stroking his hair. The son of Hades relaxed into it. When Will spoke again, Nico couldn’t help but smile.

_“I mean, if you can kick Tartarus in the ass you can probably do anything.”_

_“You’re just saying that so you can guilt-trip me into eating all of my breakfast tomorrow,”_ Nico snickered.

_“Curses! My evil plan has been foiled!”_

_“My gods, Solace. Shut up and kiss me so we can go to sleep already.”_

_“Your wish is my command, O Lord of Darkness.”_

Nico rolled his eyes and smiled as he felt Will lean down. Warm lips pressed against his, and he knew everything had been worth it to get so far.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t keep thinking about good times like those, mainly because of the dragon.

Meeting new kinds of monsters was usually kind of cool.

Meeting new kinds of monsters in Tartarus was _not_ cool.

The dragon was about the size of a really big house, with green-gray scales and wings. It was curled up on its side, smoke billowing out of its nostrils with every exhale, reminding Nico of twin chimneys on a Victorian mansion. It laid at the bottom of a wedge between two mountains in a nest of boulders and molten rock.

Beside him, Cupid swore softly. “That must be the biggest one I’ve ever seen.”

“Same here.” Nico swallowed, eyeballing the distance between him and the narrow rocky path the dragon blocked. Theoretically, it should be possible to just slip down the hill they were on, tip-toe past the sleeping beast, and carry on their merry way. But that would only work if it was in a deep sleep; dragons had the best sense of smell of almost any other creature in existence.

Slowly, he began to inch his way down to the valley floor.

The dragon’s snores were so loud Nico could feel the vibrations traveling up from the ground and into his body. As he crept closer he could see that the thing’s talons were seemingly golden, or at least until he realized that they weren’t actually gold- they were stained with the blood of fellow monsters.

He heard Cupid suck in a sharp breath. “Child, there may be a problem.”

“We already have a problem!” Nico hissed under his breath.

“Well, here’s another one. That beast is the Ismenian Dragon, slain by a hero in Ancient times. It is the offspring of Ares,” the love god said softly. “It is no ordinary monster.”

Just as Cupid finished his sentence the world seemed to heave. Nico screeched as two blindingly yellow eyes opened in the darkness, making him stumble back with his arms raised to shield his eyes. Then, he was grabbed by the scruff and yanked out of the way as the dragon struck.

It smashed its face into the side of the adjacent mountain, making it rain boulders down upon its back and wings. The huge dragon roared, not appearing to be hurt, but enraged that its quarry had escaped its grasp. Whatever it lacked in speed it more than made up for in strength, Nico noted warily as it bit down on a boulder the size of a tank and crunched through it effortlessly, like a kid throwing a temper tantrum.

Cupid nocked an arrow and took aim. The projectile streaked through the dusty air and nailed the dragon right in the temple before exploding in a shower of white fire. Snarling, it whipped around to face the love god with its massive wings unfurling.

“Nico, it will kill you and maim me before we so much as injure it!” Cupid shouted as he dodged its jaws. The god flipped himself up on to the dragon’s gigantic head and shot two arrows at once into the area where its skull met its neck, and then leapt off to kick it sideways. The Ismenian Dragon stumbled, temporarily stunned but not at all hurt.

Looking around, Nico tried to find anything that might help them other than the countless rocks everywhere. Why didn’t Tartarus have more obstacles that involved throwing rocks at things? That he could do.

Then he spotted the huge indent in the side of the mountain where the Ismenian Dragon had smashed into it.

The son of Hades leapt out of the way as a car-sized foot came down on where he was just standing. Thinking fast, he sliced his sword through it, and was rewarded with a deafening roar that felt like it shook Tartarus itself.

Nico then turned on a dime and charged right at the beast. “Cupid! Get ready to get me out of the way!”

“What are you _doing?”_

“Something stupid!”

Just as the dragon opened its maw to devour Nico whole, he braced himself and leapt for all he was worth. The rough spines lining the dragon’s crest scraped his back as he tumbled over the massive head and landed in a hard roll.

Nico pushed himself to his feet and sprinted like a man possessed for the indent in the mountain. He felt every footstep jar his teeth, every stride forcing him to suck in more sulfuric air that burned his chest like hot metal.

As soon as he was in front of the deep dent at the base of the mountain, he turned around to face the dragon. Nico staggered, acting like he was in pain so that the dragon thought he wouldn’t be able to escape again, which wasn’t hard to do at all. Roaring in triumph, the beast charged one last time.

Everything happened very quickly after that.

Just as Nico felt the scorching heat of the dragon’s breath buffet him, its mouth taking up his entire field of vision, he was slammed away by an unseen force.

He and Cupid tumbled across the ground and ended up in a heap of wings and dirty jackets. A huge cracking sound filled the air. Nico managed to peel his face from the slimy soil just in time to watch the entire mountain come down on the Ismenian Dragon.

It screamed once more, cries muffled by the thousands of tons of rock crushing it from above, and then it crumbled into a cloud of golden dust.

The two of them stared at the dissipating monster remains for a few seconds. Then, at the exact same time, Cupid and Nico scrambled to their feet and speed-walked out of the valley together.

“That was cool,” Nico decided once they were well away from the scene of the crime.

Cupid groaned, rubbing his temples like he had a headache. “I’m glad you think so, child. Next time, please warn me further in advance if you plan to drop a mountain on anything.”

“You’re just jealous because I thought of it first.”

“Whatever you say.”

For the first time since they had fell into Tartarus, Nico began to feel a little hopeful. Yeah, his lungs were burning and his whole body felt like it was made of rock, but he had experience and a _god_ on his side. If anybody could make it through this place, not even once but _twice,_ it would be him.

He grabbed his water bottle from his backpack and took a few sips. Frowning, Nico hoped he could make his supplies last; not to mention once they found Will he would most likely need food and water. This would have to be the fastest _Tour de Tartarus_ anybody had ever made, ever.

“I thought the Underworld was dreadful,” Cupid muttered, still holding on to his bow. “How did you even make it through the first time?”

“I just kept going, I guess.”

The love god grunted, wings flaring in alarm when something roared off in the distance.

Nico rolled his eyes. “If you’re so worried about an ambush, why don’t you cover your wings in dust to dull them? Every monster and their blind grandmother could spot your bright-ass feathers from the other side of the mountain range.”

“Cover my… ugh.” Cupid let his wings drop and drag through the dirt. He reminded Nico of a college student running on nothing but caffeine and anxiety. “I’m not so good at this. Gods don’t usually get so… hands-on with these kinds of experiences.”

“I’ve noticed.”

He didn’t say anything for a long moment, just dragging his wings through the black dust and looking a little miserable. Nico didn’t blame him.

Then a strange thought crossed his mind.

Was Cupid… _self-conscious?_

“You’re not thinking that you suck, right?” Nico prodded.

“I do, as the young people say, _suck,”_ the god muttered. “The only combat-related things I’m good at are shooting arrows into things and being invisible. Also, my wife left me because I beat you up and all of my friends wish for my painful demise.”

Nico looked up at Cupid “Okay, I see why that makes you feel like crap. If it makes you feel better, consider this: I don’t think you suck.”

“… I appreciate it?”

The son of Hades groaned. “I’m not good at making people feel better. But you don’t have to be good at every kind of fighting. You’re like, a ninja sniper dude. With wings.”

That got the god to smile. “’Ninja sniper dude’? I suppose that’s not terrible.”

“Told you. And I promised you I’d talk to Psyche, right? You brought me and Will together. Let me do the same for you and her.” Nico bumped against Cupid’s arm.

A hand ruffled his hair, and together the two of them trekked on.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay people, thanks SO much for waiting. I would have gotten this up earlier, but I recently went through something really bad. Long story short: I went through a school shooting. I'm A-Okay, I promise, but until my brain stops acting like a piece of shit updates might be a little farther apart. 
> 
> You guys are the absolute best. I couldn't have gotten this far without all of your support. Hopefully I can get the next chapter up sometime this weekend or next week, so until then, peace out.


	27. Oh My Gods, You Can't Just Ask People Why They're Primordial

Somehow, they carried on through the endless red dusk that was Tartarus without having to fight any other monsters. A few times Nico would catch a harpy or a manticore glaring at him from the shadows of a cave, readying themselves for an attack, only to see Cupid and flinch away in terror. Not to mention that he got to see the more toned-down version of the place through some kind of immortal magic instead of the full drive-you-insane experience, which was kind of like seeing an R-rated horror film and then getting to watch _Power Rangers._

Yep, traveling with a god definitely had its perks.

The optimistic atmosphere didn’t last for long, however. When they made it over a crest of rock that led up a mountain they came face-to-face with a churning river of pure fire.

Nico knew what that stuff tasted like- rancid ghost peppers and cat litter, but he still held a good deal of respect for the Phlegethon. It had saved his life the first time he had traveled through Tartarus.

He was about to head down to the shore so he and Cupid could follow it to the next level of the hellish world when the god grabbed his arm.

“Nico, you told Eos to come here to ‘cure’ herself, did you not?” he asked uneasily.

“Oh, _shit.”_ Nico had totally forgotten about that. His hand flew to the hilt of his sword. “She could be anywhere right now. Do you think you could circle the area really quick?”

Cupid hesitated. “I’d rather not leave you alone until we can find somewhere with better hiding places. Let’s just pick up the pace.”

Nico knew better than to argue. Very swiftly, he slid down the rise and let the Phlegethon guide his path. Not too far away, he heard snoring and turned to see a hellhound passed out on a flat-topped rock, probably taking a quick power-nap before continuing on its way. That helped him feel a little better; no monster would let themselves be so vulnerable if they sensed an angry titaness nearby. Unfortunately, he was reminded of Mrs. O’Leary, and his heart panged. Percy _better_ have been taking care of her, or that idiot of a son of Poseidon would have skeletons dancing on his roof every night for three months.

The pair followed the river for another hour or so before it bent sharply to Nico’s left. The landscape looked more familiar, and he knew they were nearly to the next level down.

Sure enough, the fire in the rushing water began to flicker and grow dim the further they walked. The river narrowed until it was no wider than a sidewalk. Ahead, the landscape curved around and dipped below the plateau Nico and Cupid were on. Nico took a few steps back, and then bounded forward and leapt over the Phlegethon, the god of love right behind him.

“The Shrine of Hermes is that way,” Nico pointed ahead. “And the Mansion of Night is about two hours from here to there.” He pointed over to his left.

“Do you think Will might be at the shrine?” Cupid asked curiously

“It’s a good spot, but no. It’s too obvious. Our titan friend knows better than to hold a prisoner at such an obvious landmark.” Nico set off towards the Mansion of Night.

“Impressive deduction, Mr. Holmes,” Cupid said dryly.

“Thanks. Wait, so if I’m Holmes, does that mean you’re Watson?” Nico asked, a smile beginning to creep up his face.

“Oh, dear. I thought Sherlock was the asshole out of the pair?”

“You underestimate my ability to be an asshole.”

Cupid chuckled.

Because they were making great time, Nico was surprised when he spotted the huge abyss off in the distance. Well, he didn’t so much see it as _feel_ its presence- overwhelming, life-draining, more intimidating than the darkest of shadows in the late hours of the night.

Beside him, he felt Cupid freeze in terror. “Nico, this is _not_ a good idea.”

He groaned. “Dude, it’ll be fine. We’re just asking if she saw anything weird over the past few months. I’ve met her before.”

“So have I,” the god whispered, feathers standing on end. “Believe me, I know Nyx better than most. Let’s turn around, perhaps we can find someone el-”

Cupid didn’t even finish his sentence before the darkness seemed to rise from the abyss, staining everything around it in murky black shadows. The temperature plummeted and froze the sweat on Nico’s skin. He felt Cupid grab his hand, squeezing it hard enough for him to lose circulation to his fingers, and he was pulled back a little just before a massive _something_ rose from the void.

She was even more terrifying than Nico remembered, and for the first time, he began to realize maybe Cupid had been right about this plan.

“Well spoken, God of Love. Every being has the obligation to tremble before me… even the ones I could call family.”

Nyx’s form finally became visible, even darker than the shadows around her. She was huge- forty or fifty feet tall, with wings the size of sails and her pinpoint eyes shining like nuclear explosions. Her chariot was even bigger, made from Stygian iron like his own sword. Pulling her chariot were her two enormous demon horses, Shade and Shadow (Nico had difficulty telling them apart). They spat angrily at him and Cupid when they tried to take a few more steps back.

Nico felt like his lungs had collapsed, but he managed to speak. “L-Lady Nyx. What do you mean by ‘could call family’?”

Cupid winced. “In some ways, Nyx is my mother.”

_“What?”_

“Silence! Cupid, you will tell me why you and this little mortal have so rudely interrupted my slumber,” the goddess hissed.

“It is Eos, Lady Nyx. If she succeeds in her plan to bring her sister back from the void, it could very well mean the death of us all,” said Cupid. His voice didn’t shake, which impressed Nico, but it was still obvious how scared the god was.

Nyx lowered her star-studded whip. “Explain.”

Quickly, Cupid retold everything that Eos had done, with Nico adding in his own portion of the story. Somehow it had gotten easier to get out, even to a super-powerful being who could wipe him from existence just by willing it.

When they were done, Nyx’s wings flared in anger (just like Cupid’s did, Nico realized), and she drew herself up to her full height. “The titaness has clearly gone mad if she thinks she can get away with angering the primordial gods of Tartarus! I will speak with Chaos immediately.”

“Have you seen her around lately? Or a blonde boy?” Nico pressed.

“No. But there are strange mutterings coming from the Poison Meadows of Akhlys. If anybody knows anything, it will be the goddess herself,” Nyx said.

“Oh, _fantastic,”_ Nico growled under his breath. Then, louder, he said, “Thank you, Lady Nyx.”

“But of course. But it is a little unfortunate that a little mortal hero pays more respect to me than _my own son.”_ Nyx turned sharply to face Cupid, who jumped into the air like a startled cat.

“M-My deepest apologies. I’ve been rather… busy, lately. And Tartarus is scary.”

Nyx grunted. “Whatever helps you sleep at night. Now begone!”

With a thundering tornado of shadows, the goddess disappeared back into the abyss, apparently just wanting to get back to her beauty rest.

Cupid wasted no time. Nico squeaked as he was picked up, and then Cupid got a running start and leapt over the huge crevice in the ground. With a couple of good flaps, the god got them across the abyss that was Nyx’s home and broke into a sprint, all but dragging Nico behind him.

Just as the son of Hades started to wheeze for breath in the toxic air, Cupid slowed and looked around before shooing Nico under an overhang of rock.

“Ooh, I hate that one,” he grumbled, still nervously eyeballing the horizon.

Nico coughed into his elbow. “Hold up. I thought Aphrodite was your mom? How can you be Nyx’s son too? Were they a thing at some point? How did-“

“Hush, child, before you talk yourself unconscious. And don’t use her name! Names have much power, especially since we’re literally less than a mile away,” the love god hissed.

“Ugh, fine. But still.”

Cupid sighed, before sitting down and leaning back against the rock. When Nico joined him, he began.

“At the beginning of time, there was only Chaos, the being who fathered the universe and then Night herself. Night then had many children with Erebus, her brother, and one or two with Chaos- yes, that’s a little nasty, but the older immortals are all a little weird. But she also birthed many simply by willing herself to, with no father required. I am one of those children.”

“Holy Hera.”

“Indeed. That was my first form, as a primordial god even older than any of the Olympians. But as our stories changed with time, Aphrodite also became known as my mother. The older and newer versions of me eventually fused. That resulted in me ending up with a lot of power despite my status as a minor god,” Cupid explained.

“So even though some of the other minor gods have faded, you’re gonna stick around for a while?” Nico asked, looking up at him.

Cupid smiled. “I am. In fact, I’ve grown even stronger. As humanity rediscovers what love is, undefined by social class, ethnicity, gender, sex, even belief systems, my influence grows. It’s possible that one day I may end up an Olympian myself.”

 _“Whoa.”_ That sounded _awesome,_ especially becoming an Olympian.

The god hauled himself to his feet, pulling Nico with him. Then he staggered, coughing painfully, handsome face momentarily going pale.

“Are you okay?” Nico asked, a kind of sick uneasiness worming into his stomach.

“I’m fine. As it turns out, Tartarus may not be such a good place for gods like me after all.” Cupid shook his head and took the lead as they headed towards the Poison Meadows of Akhlys.

“You’re not gonna, like, _die,_ right?” Nico mumbled.

The god of love laughed. “You can’t get rid of me that easy, child. I’m not going anywhere, remember?”

<> 

For some reason, Nico found himself even more scared of meeting the goddess of misery even more than when he had met Nyx. Maybe it was the fact Akhlys seemed to consider him a favorite of hers. After all, what would his life be if it didn’t completely suck eggs every five minutes?

But his fear was overrode by his desire to finally reunite with Will. _Gods,_ he was missing his boyfriend so bad that he was pretty sure it had burnt a permanent hole into his heart. Once they all got out of here he wasn’t going to let Will out of his sight for the rest of his life. If Akhlys thought she could try and play games with them he was gonna get Cupid to shove all his arrows up her ass and throw her into Nyx’s abyss Hole of Death.

That cheered him up. Or rather, it cheered him up until he saw the barren wasteland ahead.

The unusually chilly darkness they had been trudging through lifted like a storm. Nico was so exhausted despite the fact he had just rested that he was contemplating finding the nearest patch of non-lethal shrubbery and going to sleep, but as his mood plummeted for seemingly no reason at all he knew he had to be ready for a fight.

Cupid made an unhappy noise. “Heavens, why do I want to cry? I’ve been crying way too much lately. This is not very god-like.”

“That would be our friend Akhlys,” Nico grumbled. He was already pissed off and worried sick over his boyfriend, so he focused on that instead of the all-encompassing misery (ha ha, because Akhlys was the goddess of… ugh, nevermind) that threatened to make him sit down and cry himself to death.

He heard Akhlys before he saw her.

Her sobs reached his ears and immediately killed any last optimism he had. Just some ways away, the bent figure of a woman appeared, kneeling in the dirt and weeping like someone who had lost everything. As Nico crept closer, the hairs on the back of his neck stood straight up when he saw that Akhlys had not changed since they last talked. He would compare her to a zombie, but he was pretty sure that was insulting to zombies everywhere.

“Ahem… Lady Akhlys?” Cupid managed from behind him.

The goddess in rags raised her head, and Nico nearly pissed himself. Sunken, dark eyes met his, set in an emaciated face the color of mucus. Her skin looked leathery and dry, like she had never heard of lotion. Blood ran from scratches all over her body as if she had been clawing herself. Greasy hair fell past her shoulders in clotted ropes. 

“Ah, good… evening? Morning? I hope we’re not intruding. That much, anyways,” Cupid said feebly.

“Time is useless down here, isn’t it?” the goddess sobbed. “In the end, it is nothing but an illusion. Most things are.”

“Y-Yes, it does feel that way sometimes. May we have a word?”

Akhlys coughed, rising to her feet and wiping away her tears. “Ah, God of Love, Nico di Angelo. It’s nice to see you two again so soon, I suppose.”

Nico frowned. “What do you mean, ‘so soon’?”

“Lady Akhlys pulled you out of the River Cocytus,” Cupid said quietly. “She saved your life.”

His eyes widened in surprise.

“Yes, you must be surprised that I of all the gods saved you. But it was not your time,” Akhlys rasped.

“Um, t-thank you?” Nico got out.

“Do not thank me. Your journey alongside Misery is far from over! No matter what happens, you will not make it back alive-“

“Oh, shove a sock in it,” Nico snapped. He was already fed up. “Where’s Will Solace?’

Cupid stiffened in fear, but Akhlys actually laughed. “I will take you to him. But first, Eos demanded of me that you must answer this question, and that you must get it _exactly_ right.”

Nico inhaled shakily. “What is it?”

“What is the meaning of life?”

He stared at her, and then bent over, laughing so hard his stomach hurt. Cupid followed a second after, and then the two were leaning on each other, wheezing for breath and whacking each other’s arms with hysterical glee.

“What kind of stupid-ass-!” Nico shrieked, slapping his knee. “Cupid, she just asked me-!”

 _“’What is the meaning of life?’”_ the love god mocked.

“We’re in a soap opera, oh my gods! Wait tell I tell Percy and Annabeth!”

Akhlys glared at them in utter disbelief. “Excuse me?!”

“Hang on, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Nico snorted. He looked at the goddess of misery and cracked up again.

“You impudent little fools! Eos may already be on her way here!” Akhlys hissed.

That finally got him to sober up. He took a deep breath and looked her in the eye.

“There is no real answer to that. Existence is different for everybody. The meaning of life is whatever you want it to be,” Nico told her.

The anger evaporated from Akhlys’s face, replaced by… was that respect?

“Well done, son of Hades. Come. I will take you to your Will Solace.”

She turned and disappeared into the gloom.

Nico and Cupid broke into a sprint after her. The demigod’s heart was beating so fast his teeth chattered in his skull.

A part of him told him to not get his hopes up. Was Will even alive? Had he been driven insane by Tartarus? What if Eos had lied when she said she hadn’t hurt him at all?

_Oh, Will, I’m so sorry. I love you so much._

Ahead, Akhlys stopped and gestured to a cave in the side of a cliff that rose into the blood-red clouds above. She made no hostile movements.

Nico slowed, and then stopped. “Aren’t you working with Eos? I thought you’d try and stop us.”

Akhlys closed her eyes. “I am the goddess of suffering, of grief, of everything terrible that could happen to you. But what Eos has done to so many over the millennia… I cannot forgive her for that. She must be stopped at all costs. Life is painful, son of Hades, but it is bearable if you can understand that.”

“… Thank you,” he choked. He bowed to her, and then he and Cupid ran into the cave together.

And that was the last time he ever saw Akhlys.

Nico took the lead, sprinting around corners and leaping over cracks in the cave floor as he raced further and further down. He felt Cupid’s presence behind him, and it gave him strength.

_I love you, Will._

He came to a stop as the cavern opened. On the other end of the stone walls was another tunnel. Nico charged in without hesitation. Fear and his desperation to get to his boyfriend warred in his stomach, but he kept going even when it became almost too dark to see.

_We’re coming. We’re coming to get you. Just be alive, my heart, my soul. Do that for me, okay?_

A door-shaped hole appeared from the shadows.

His breath was coming in short gasps.

In a dreamlike state, Nico stumbled forward.

At first, he couldn’t see anything. But then the outline of a small cavern made itself visible, along with a blanket tossed on the floor. It was spotted with blood. Grime crusted the edges, and the whole place smelled like sweat and death.

But curled up on it, breathing and very alive, was Will Solace.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YEEAAAHHHHHHHHHH!
> 
> Okay, first of all, fucking finally. Second of all, you guys asking me how I've been has helped so much. I have no idea how to thank you all. 
> 
> It's like midnight right now and I'm sick so peace out lol


	28. The Price of Responsibility and Freedom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will Solace is alive and uninjured, but the quest is still far from over. In order to save Nico and Will from Eos, Cupid does what any parent would do.

For a moment, the world stood still, before it narrowed down to the dirty blond boy curled up on the cavern floor.

Nico stumbled forward, feeling like his mind was outside of his body. His feet weighed a million pounds. A strange ringing filled his ears.

Then he was pelting full speed towards Will Solace. Gasping for breath, he fell to his knees and with trembling hands, carefully rolled him over on his back. The son of Apollo stirred at the touch, but when he didn’t awake panic began to gnaw on Nico’s insides.

“Will,” he whispered. “Will, wake up. It’s me, Nico.”

Will mumbled something incoherent, eyes cracking open. Nico choked on his tears when he spotted a sliver of that familiar blue, the same hue as the lake at camp when the sun was shining, the blue that had become the color of home.

Then they flew open in shock, and Will half-gasped, half-shrieked as he bolted upright. Then he grunted and collapsed back, face white from exertion and sudden blood loss. Nico felt hot tears begin to stream down his cheeks. In that moment, everything in the world was perfect, exactly as it should be. After so many months, so much time worrying and crying and traveling all over, he was finally back with Will Solace.

Their eyes met. Will’s freckled face was a mask of utter disbelief, but he managed to speak. “Nico? What…”

“Oh my gods,” Nico croaked, cupping his boyfriend’s head in his hands and covering his lips and jaw with kisses. “Oh, praise the gods, you’re alive. You’re _okay.”_ He started to cry with weak, hiccupping sobs. Will squeaked as Nico gathered him into his arms, rocking him gently and trying to catch his breath.

“Nico,” Will repeated, staring up at him. “I’m dreaming, aren’t I? What the fresh hell, I’ve finally lost it. Nice to see you, I guess.”

The son of Hades giggled, borderline hysterical. “No, sunshine, I’m here. It’s a long story.”

The blond blinked several times. “Wait. I’m in Tartarus. Eos chucked me in here and put me in some kind of magical coma so I’d survive. You can’t…”

A hand on Nico’s back made him look over his shoulder. Cupid knelt down with him, a huge smile on his face as he looked down at Will. In that moment, Nico wanted another pair of arms so he could hug the god too. He owed Cupid _everything._

“What,” Will mumbled. “Okay, random winged hot dude. This is fine.”

Cupid snorted in amusement. “Definitely a son of Apollo. Are you injured?”

“No?” Will finally managed to sit up. He was still loopy from the coma, though, and it took both Nico and Cupid to drag him to his feet.

“We don’t have much time before Eos gets here. I think I can sense her already,” Cupid muttered quietly. Swallowing nervously, Nico threw one of Will’s arms over his shoulder, and with the love god taking the lead the three of them made their way back to the surface.

Walking apparently helped get Will’s brain back in relative order, because a minute into dragging him up a narrow tunnel Nico felt the son of Apollo’s eyes staring into his skull.

“Nico, what are you doing here?” he asked, tone reminding Nico of a mom who was asking her toddler where he had hidden a stash of explosives.

“Saving your dumb ass?” Nico offered.

“This… we’re in Tartarus. You came back to Tartarus.”

“Sure did. Percy and Annabeth are gonna lose their minds when they find out; somebody needs to record their reactions. Five drachmas says Percy gets jealous because I’m the only demigod to go to Tartarus of his own choice and come back _twice.”_

“You won’t be making it back this time if you two don’t hurry it up!” Cupid called from ahead.

“We’re coming!” Nico yelled.

Will kept staring at him. “You came back… you came back to Tartarus to …save me?”

“You bet I did. Think you can run?” Nico asked, getting Will back on his own two feet.

“… Yeah,” Will whispered, still holding Nico’s hand. He looked like Zeus himself pranced up to him and asked for his hand in marriage. The son of Hades gave his boyfriend’s hand a squeeze, and the two started to jog.

It was still slow going, and Cupid was growing more and more jittery by the minute, which in turn made Nico jittery. By the time they made it back to the mouth of the cave Nico was practically dragging Will along like a suitcase.

“Which way to the Doors of Death?” Cupid demanded. He had his bow in his hand.

Nico looked around, mentally tracing over his old route. After Akhlys he had gone right, then left. But then he realized they had a massive problem.

“They should be that way…” Nico pointed to the left. “But the Doors were chained in place at the time. Now they’re not.”

Cupid swore. “Might as well hope for the best. We just have to keep moving.”

After they had set a steady pace towards their destination Nico made Will eat a granola bar and drink some water. His own stomach was cramping from hunger, but he was so accustomed to being hungry he knew he’d be fine in a few hours.

“Drink some water, at least,” Will insisted, lips twitching up in a smile. “Hydration’s important when you’re trekking through the pits of Hell.”

“You just made that up.”

“It’s common sense!”

 _“Boys,”_ Cupid warned. “And Nico, drink the damn water.”

“Fine.” Nico grabbed the water bottle from Will and took a few gulps. The sensation of water going down his throat felt better than he’d ever admit.

“How did you do that? He never listens to me,” Will complained.

The god laughed. “Why am I not surprised?”

Something seemed to occur to the son of Apollo, and he stared up at Cupid in confusion. “Oh, uh… sorry, who are you again?”

“I’m Cupid.”

Will’s jaw dropped, and he turned to look down at Nico. “Um, Nico? Is this the guy-“

A flash of panic made Nico rib his boyfriend before he could finish his sentence, coughing when Will yelped in protest.

“We’re good now, he’s my friend,” Nico hissed in the blond’s ear.

“Well you didn’t have to jam your elbow up my _rib cage,”_ Will grunted.

“Sorry.” Nico glanced back at Cupid, who was keeping a good pace like nothing was wrong, but he knew the god well enough know to notice the way his dirty white feathers rose along the edges of his wings.

For the next hour the three of them walked in silence. Nico still couldn’t stop sneaking glances at Will every thirty seconds, even though he knew Will was totally on to it. After so long, after so much blood and tears and endless days without him, Nico had finally managed to get Will out of his prison alive. He had still not let go of his hand. His boyfriend didn’t seem to mind in the slightest, though, so Nico continued to be a human koala without a trace of shame.

Unfortunately, Nico ended up regretting not paying attention to his surroundings more. If it hadn’t been for Cupid, all three of them would have died.

The love god stopped dead in his tracks. The next millisecond he was taking aim at something behind Nico, and then he fired and lunged like a tiger.

Nico barely had enough time to tackle Will out of the way before the forms of two gods were rolling across the ground together, locked in combat. Cupid’s white wings beat furiously in the murky air, kicking up soil into his opponent’s eyes. He was forced back by a hard shove and went sprawling in the dust.

Eos stood over him with her face cast in eerie shadow. “I warned you what would happen if you and the boy kept testing me. If only you didn’t make me have to do this.”

“Poor Eos. So cowardly, so _stupid_ that she blames everybody for her actions except herself. Time has truly taught you nothing,” Cupid spat as he flipped to his feet and nocked an arrow.

Nico stared in horror at the titan. He grabbed Will, putting himself between Eos and the son of Apollo. But Eos’s attention was all on the god of love.

“Time is the enemy, Cupid. It teaches you _nothing._ It only takes, like it took my sister. Don’t think I won’t kill you to get those two mortal children. They’re my last chance at getting Selene back!” Eos looked like she was in pain. She grimaced, even though Nico could see no physical injuries. But he knew what hurt her was doing more damage than any flesh wound.

 _“No.”_ Cupid’s eyes burst into red fire. Huge white wings unfurled and made the god seem triple his usual size. He snarled and staggered towards Eos, standing protectively in front of Nico and Will, and the son of Hades knew he had never seen the full extent of the love god’s wrath until now. “Get _AWAY FROM THEM!”_

Eos didn’t even have time to shit herself. Cupid cannoned into her with the force of a jet plane and sent her flying into a boulder thirty feet away. He landed on top of her and crushed her head into the ground, punching bloody bruises into her face and torso. When she tried to defend herself with twin daggers that she summoned from thin air he swung his bow up and over his shoulder before bringing it down on her arms.

Will gasped as the blow took the titan’s arm clean off from the elbow up. Eos gaped in horror at the bleeding stump, shocked.

“Nico!” Cupid shouted. _“Behind you!”_

Nico turned and almost started weeping for joy. Not even two hundred feet from them were the Doors of Death, still settling into the ground from their sudden reappearance. Clouds of black dust billowed up into the air and began to cast the area into darkness.

An enraged shriek made Nico jump. Eos was wrestling Cupid with everything she had, golden blood splattering everywhere. In her remaining hand she had a rock the size of a baseball. Glaring hatefully at him, Eos cocked her arm back and pitched hard enough to make a professional athlete proud.

He stared at the rock coming towards him, and then the world went black.

<> 

Cupid watched in horror as the rock Eos threw sailed through the air and cracked neatly against Nico’s skull, making the boy collapse on the spot. Will shouted, grabbing him before he could hit the ground and pulling the son of Hades into his arms.

“Fragile, aren’t they?” Eos breathed with a chuckle.

“Says the bitch I took an arm off from,” Cupid said icily. He summoned every bit of strength he had, grabbed the titan’s hair, and then threw her as far as he possibly could.

Her indignant scream was music to his ears.

“Will! Run!” he shouted.

The son of Apollo was quick to respond. Cupid leapt into the air and nocked an arrow, firing it through Eos’s stomach. His rage made him strong, even as the titan stood and ripped the projectile right out of her body.

He did _not_ come all this way to be stopped by some monster of a woman with delusions of grandeur. At that moment, the only thing that mattered was getting Will and Nico out of here.

Beams of light shot from Eos’s fingers. He dodged and fired, and then became invisible. Accelerating as much as he could, he slammed into Eos again, knocking her back even farther away. A loud, distant _thump_ sounded, well over the rise they crossed earlier.

Cupid turned and shot towards the two demigods. When he landed next to Will, he could tell the golden-haired child was nearly at the end of his strength. He couldn’t even imagine the toll just being in Tartarus had taken from him.

“Help me… carry him,” Will gasped. Cupid obliged and grabbed Nico. The son of Apollo limped rapidly towards the Doors of Death. When he reached the Door’s panel he went to press the button to open them, and then froze.

Cupid’s stomach dropped as one small detail wafted up from thousands of years of memories.

The rest of the Erotes and Voluptas would be waiting for them at the surface, ready to open the Doors for them. He knew they would be, but that was only one half of the problem that was taken care of. The Doors of Death had to be controlled from _both_ ends, or whoever dared to ride up the elevator to the mortal world would fall into the abyss. In Tartarus, someone also had to keep them shut for exactly twelve minutes, one minute for each Olympian.

In an instant, Cupid knew what he had to do.

He pressed the “Open” button, grabbed Will and Nico, and shoved them into the elevator. Will gasped as he caught Nico before they both slid to the floor.

The son of Apollo stared up at him, shaking his head.

“You _dare!”_ An enraged scream came from behind him.

“I dare,” he told Eos. The titan was stalking towards him, a dagger in her right hand. The bleeding stump of her left was already scabbed over and growing back. As he watched, new bone and muscle began to form. “I dare, because for every person I’ve hurt, for every heart I’ve broken, I shall take responsibility for. The Fates demand that I pay a great price today. Perhaps, if the other gods are watching, they will be inspired.”

“You speak as if you were mortal.” Eos spit blood into the dirt.

“No. I speak like a man with a soul.”

“Cupid, no,” Will croaked.

He glanced at the boy, and then to Nico, still unconscious in Will’s lap. There was a large bruise spreading out from his temple, but he knew he would be fine.

“Remember to hold the Doors shut, child,” Cupid told Will. “And…” He swallowed, looking at Nico one last time. “And tell Nico that he will always be part of my family.”

He smiled reassuringly at Will, ignoring his own fear. both hands resting on the smooth metal of the elevator. Just as he felt the air shift as Eos lunged for him, he punched the button that closed the Doors.

As the elevator began its ascension to the mortal world, he kicked Eos away, laughing as he warded her off with blow after blow. For the first time in Cupid’s life, he realized what being free truly felt like.

Freedom was an apology. It was a sacrifice.

And it was love.

Eos’s daggers shredded flesh and drove deep into his body, but Cupid didn’t feel any pain. With one last mighty punch, he watched as she crumpled to the ground before him. The titan was moaning in pain, her face a mess of ichor and stained golden hair. He knew he probably didn’t look much better.

“I hope Selene can’t even bring herself to look in your direction. A titan like her deserved a far better sister than the likes of you,” he told her, voice hoarse.

“You… know… nothing,” Eos said through gritted teeth. “I am a titan, a being as old as the world itself, and powerful enough to destroy your essence once and for all!”

“Look at yourself. Look at what you have become. You don’t even know about the truth of your curse!” he laughed, throwing his head back and leaning against the Doors of Death.

“I drank from the River Phlegethon. I am cured,” she said smugly, taking deep breaths.

Cupid started to laugh again. “But of course. The son of Hades told you about the River of Healing, yes? Genius child. But he didn’t tell you _everything.”_

The smile dropped from Eos’s face.

Cupid released the “Close” button, knowing twelve minutes came and went. The two demigods were safe at the surface, with his family there to help him. They had won.

“What,” Eos said flatly.

He was smiling so widely his face hurt. “Oh, I’ll never tell you. I’ll leave that honor to Nico.”

The titan’s daggers elongated into true swords. Cupid blinked. He looked down to see both of them impaled through his chest.

Eos disappeared in a flash of purple light, and he finally let himself collapse.

 


	29. Remember Me

As the energy left his body, Cupid took to the air, coasting low over the wastelands of Tartarus. He pitied any monster that got blood dropped on them as he struggled on.

The damp heat surrounding him barely registered anymore. All he could think about was his old home in Croatia, his and Psyche’s palace. They had raised their daughter there. If he tried hard enough, he could pretend he was soaring over the city of Split, the sun on his back and his friends and family chasing each other around. He just wished he had gotten the chance to bring Nico there.

But it was not Croatia he was searching for.

When Cupid finally recognized the black abyss he let himself drop slowly from the sky. Shakily, he managed to weakly roll and turn, so he did not crash into the opposite cliff as he dropped into the shadows.

He felt Nyx before she caught him, and then he was lowered to the smooth marble floor of her mansion. It felt cold against his burning body. All around him, he heard all kinds of gods and demons stir, curious about the dirty pile of feathers on the tile.

“Sorry about the blood,” he told her.

“Why did you come?”

“Didn’t want… to be alone. Strange, isn’t it? I thought only mortals were afraid of dying. Of being forgotten.” He broke off in a harsh coughing fit.

Nyx was silent.

Beside him, he felt a hand press to his stab wound, and the pain ceased. A couple of voices talked in a language he could not understand.

“You have many fine children, Nyx,” he told her. His voice sounded faint. “I regret that I could not be one of them.”

It could have been minutes, or hours, but he felt his first mother pick him up. Cupid opened his eyes briefly as she cradled him in her arms, before letting himself relax again.

She walked. He did not know where she was taking him, but he did not protest.

Then he was laid on something soft. A strange whisper of warmth soaked into his feathers, and he looked up to see sunlight streaming in from overhead.

“How…” he breathed, but he was already so far away.

A soft voice shushed him gently. When he finally let himself fade into nothing, he knew that whatever waited for him would not be bad.

It was just like going home.


	30. Hey, FlightFright? Why Are You Like This?

Nico came to in Will’s arms just as the son of Apollo dragged him from the Doors of Death. Sight and sound were distorted as he struggled to make sense of what was going on, and he knew he probably had a concussion. When he managed a look around, though, he recognized the House of Hades. He had been here before with his friends when they all rescued Percy and Annabeth from Tartarus, just like what was happening now.

A pair of strong arms picked him up, and Nico stared dazedly at a gray-feathered wing. _Himeros?_

Will was speaking to somebody. An agonized scream echoed off the walls of the massive cavern. He felt Himeros stiffen.

Then the strange squeezing sensation in his chest made Nico cry out soundlessly, the sensation he had felt too many times before. So many years ago, when his sister, Percy, and Grover had left with the Hunters, he had been woken out of a dead sleep by it. It felt different than usual, but there was no mistaking it.

Someone he knew had died.

Before he could try and speak a gentle hand in his air made him relax, the pain in his head lessening as healing magic flowed through it. Even though he fought against it, Nico once more fell into unconsciousness.

<> 

He was warm when the light pierced through his eyelids. Around him, a familiar, sunshine-smelling presence shifted slightly, mumbling something into his neck.

Immediately, Nico jolted awake. Sprawled out all over him and the bed was Will Solace, smelling like he had showered and was wearing a new pair of shorts and a t-shirt. The streetlights outside reflected off his blond hair in soft, shiny waves. His face was untroubled and relaxed as he heaved a breath in his sleep.

His own face hurt, and Nico realized he was smiling so wide his vision was blurring. Who was the most badass, devoted boyfriend in the universe? It was him. No competition. Well, maybe _Percy_ could give him a run for his money, but that was because he was Percy.

As if he sensed Nico’s thoughts, Will stirred, and then blinked up at the son of Hades with big blue eyes.

He felt like the air had been stolen from his lungs.

“Hey,” Will breathed, voice raspy from sleep. He grinned back at Nico in utter delight.

“Hi.” Nico tentatively wrapped his arms around the blond and snuggled closer, almost afraid if he fully accepted Will was actually here he would disappear again. How did his boyfriend smell so good even though they had literally just escaped from Tartarus? Maybe it was a child of Apollo thing.

“Missed you,” Will whispered. Nico almost melted right off the bed when he felt a pair of soft lips press against his forehead, and then his jaw. When they brushed over his own mouth, Nico responded with as much enthusiasm as a still-exhausted, recently-concussed demigod could.

When they broke apart Nico kissed Will’s nose. Nothing needed to be said about what they had just been through just yet. That would come with time, Nico knew, and as long as Will was alright, so was he.

With that thought he sat up and stretched, popping several things in his back in the process. “Oh, holy Hera, you sleep a lot better when you’re not on a cave floor. How are you feeling?”

“Hungry.”

Nico snorted. He was familiar with Will’s appetite because the asshole was still growing, which was totally unfair if you asked him. But the fact he wanted food after being in Tartarus so long was a really great thing. “Sounds good, sunshine. Let’s go get Cupid, we gotta plan for when we finally beat Eos’s ass into nothing.”

“Nico, wait.”

Will grabbed his hand and shifted so he was sitting up. The happiness had completely drained from his face.

Something uneasy wormed in Nico’s stomach. “Will? Are you okay?”

The son of Apollo closed his eyes and spoke in a rush. “When we came back up the living world… the Doors of Death had to be held shut at both end. Cupid, he…”

Nico’s heart started to pound.

“He shoved us in and wouldn’t let me out. Eos would barely stay off our asses, she would have killed us all if we stayed.” Will shook his head.

“No.”

“I’m so sorry, Nico-“

Nico bolted out of the bedroom, barely registering they were back in the flat in Chicago. He all but tumbled down the stairs and skidded to a stop at the bottom. Across from him in the living room were the Erotes and Favonius, staring at him with blank eyes and paused in middle of some quiet conversation Nico hadn’t caught.

“Where’s…” he got out.

He met Psyche’s eyes. The goddess, once so lively and optimistic, looked like she had aged forty years since Nico had last seen her. Her daughter Voluptas sat next to her on the floor and was looking right into empty space.

Will’s hand was on his shoulder, murmuring something in his ear, but Nico couldn’t hear what he was saying. Cupid had to be fine. He was a _god,_ gods were practically indestructible. Some stupid titan like Eos couldn’t have _killed_ him.

But even as he tried to convince himself of that, he remembered when he had woken up just after Will had dragged him out of that damned elevator. In that moment somebody important to him had died, and it hadn’t been like any of the other deaths he’d ever experienced, the feeling of a life departing from the living world and making its way to his father’s realm. This soul had simply… disappeared.

Faded.

He leaned against Will for support and his mind went blank.

A strange choking noise came from his chest. He felt hot tears begin to stream down his face. No, no, _no._ Please, no.

There was just no end to this, was there? The moment one piece of his heart had healed back together another one had to be torn away, because gods forbid he could ever enjoy his existence for more than two seconds at a time. Gods forbid he should ever get to keep the people he came to care about in his life.

“Nico, Nico,” Will was saying softly, holding him in his arms and rocking back and forth. He clung to his boyfriend and sobbed so hard he had to gasp for breath.

He didn’t know how long he stayed like that, but when he managed to pull himself together long enough to take a few deep breaths Will was there to keep him from shattering.

“I’m gonna kill Eos,” Nico rasped. “I’ll throw that bitch into the void if it’s the last thing I do.”

“Right behind you, kid,” Himeros said softly.

Pothos looked up at Anteros. “Sounds like fun, but we have no idea where she is. Maybe Cupid brought her down before…” He shook his head like he was trying to not think about it. “Maybe she’s dead.”

Anteros snorted without humor. “We’re not that lucky.”

“No, we’re not,” Nico said.

“Eos wants to bring back Selene by blackmailing the Olympians into ripping open a hole in Chaos. But her blackmail material’s gone now,” Psyche concluded, her voice hoarse.

“Or is it? Those other gods that went missing: Hebes, Theogonia, and Aether… nobody’s been able to find them yet,” said Pothos.

“Youth, division, and light. What does Eos want from them?” Hermaphrodite asked.

“As much as I hate to say it, Eos is pretty smart. She _knows_ that she’s mentally ill,” Psyche told them. “I think that if the Olympians refuse her demand she’s going to drain them of their essence and channel it into her own to try and heal herself. Hebes and Aether would be able to do that, while Eos believes Theogonia has the power to _divide_ the illness from the rest of her.”

Himeros slowly rose from the sofa. “If she does that she’ll become stupid powerful. Powerful enough to stand a chance against the Olympians.”

“So why kidnap me and all those other campers?” Will demanded.

Anteros’s face paled. “It was never about the campers. She just did that to scare the hell out of everybody, provide a distraction while she went ahead with her real plans.”

That hit Nico like a truck. He sat down hard on the carpet, feeling faint. Beside him, Will joined him on the floor and took his hand in his own. The son of Hades leaned against his boyfriend and held him tight.

“So she’s headed for Olympus,” he said in disbelief.

“She is. And I think I have a good idea of when she’s going to strike.” Psyche got up and bounded over to her conspiracy board on the wall. “Since the _Keres_ are working for her I bet she has a pretty good idea of what’s going on in Tartarus. She’s been keeping an eye on Chaos, making sure he’s still sleeping like the dead before she gets the Olympians to rip him wide open. And guess what day is coming up?”

“Our funerals?” Hedylogos grumbled.

“The first day of spring. Persephone’s coming back up to boogie with the cool kids. Aphrodite’s love magic is influencing people’s hormones and making them want to also… boogie. Demeter has her farm stuff. It’s a big day for everybody, and there’s gonna be enough racket to make even Chaos take a peek to see what’s going on. Eos needs to take her shot before then,” the goddess explained.

“That’s the day after tomorrow,” Himeros recalled.

“We have until _tomorrow?”_ Nico could hardly believe what he was hearing.

“’Fraid so.”

Will swallowed. “We need to get back to Camp Half-Blood and warn everybody. I’ll IM Reyna to make sure Camp Jupiter knows, too.”

Nico nodded. His heart hurt so badly it felt like it was going to implode, but he forced himself to concentrate. When he got back up to his feet the Erotes looked at him so sadly he just really wanted to lay down on the couch and die.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t bring him back,” he got out.

Psyche squeezed her eyes shut, her beautiful face stained with dried tears. Her hair was coming out of her braids and curled up wildly from her scalp. She walked over to him and hugged him tightly, and Nico couldn’t stop himself from crying again, holding her tightly so she couldn’t leave him again.

“I won’t ditch you again,” she promised, as if she could read his mind. “I’ll be there with you when we avenge my husband.”

“Um, Psyche? Maybe that’s not a good idea considering-“ Himeros began tentatively, but shut up when the short goddess turned to give him a look.

Nico didn’t know what Himeros was talking about, but he was too tired to ask him about it. All he could do was take a deep breath, let go of her hands, and go back over to Will to take his. They headed back up the stairs so Nico could shower and grab his things before they left.

Not smelling like Tartarus anymore helped him feel a little steadier. Tartarus, the last place he had seen the god before Eos knocked the son of Hades out by throwing a fucking _rock_ at his head, of all the stupid crap that could have happened. Cupid’s wide amber eyes made contact with his ever so briefly, and then that was it.

He didn’t even get to say goodbye.

A shuddering breath escaped his body as he shoved his spare shirt into his backpack. If somebody told him he would be mourning Cupid, of all people, he would have laughed until his lungs burst. Now all he wanted was to hug his friend, see him alive, grumble in fake-irritation when he got his hair ruffled and affectionately called _child._

He felt a pair of warm arms wrap around him from behind. Will’s familiar frame felt strong and safe, and Nico melted back into him without hesitation, clutching at the son of Apollo’s forearms to keep him close.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry I can’t be there for you,” he sobbed softly.

Will shushed him and squeezed him tighter before kissing his jaw. “Nico, you _are_ here for me. Just you, being here… it’s enough. You came to save my dumb ass from Tartarus, even after all you’ve been through. I can’t even begin to imagine the courage it took to do that! And you lost your friend.”

Nico inhaled and turned around so he could properly hug his boyfriend. “Thank you, Will. Thank you so much.”

Will cupped his face in his hands, blue eyes soulful. He leaned down to press his forehead against Nico’s. The son of Hades pushed back into the contact, savoring the fact Will was here with him, save and unhurt.

“Cupid was important to you. He was your friend?” Will asked quietly.

Nico swallowed, letting the tears fall again. “He was like a father to me.”


	31. A Bitch Is Gonna Pay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will Solace is home at last, and Nico can afford to not worry about him for the first time in awhile. But Eos still plans to tear open Chaos to get Selene back, but Nico and the Erotes vow to take her down no matter what.

When they reappeared out of the shadows at Camp Half-Blood the sun was already sinking past the horizon. The summer air that stuck around the place year-round was sweet and cool as night gently took over, spreading billions of stars across the infinite sky. In the distance, Nico could hear the bustle of campers as they said goodbye to their friends and got ready for bed.

He turned to Will and squeezed his hand. “Ready?”

The son of Apollo didn’t have to ask what he meant. Together they flew down the hill, hand in hand, and barged into Cabin Seven.

Nico kind of wished he had a camera. A dozen or so kids and Apollo himself stopped right in the middle of what they were doing to see who had practically busted down their door (Cards Against the Olympians, by the looks of it), and when they spotted Will Solace, alive and well, a dozen or so jaws hit the floor. Kayla, who was in the middle of a pillow fight with one of her younger brothers, fainted.

Then all of hell broke loose.

“HOLYSHITWHA-A-AT!” Austin sobbed, clinging to Will like a sloth. Three of Will’s sisters were shrieking their heads off and jumping up and down. Kayla managed to recover and crowded into the steadily-growing group hug that was forming in the entryway. Little Benny, who was seven, was very happy to see Will but was also confused about what ‘shit’ meant.

Meanwhile, Apollo was face-down on the carpet and crying.

While the other kids were busy with their family reunion Nico slipped out to tell Chiron. The neighboring cabins were a little concerned about the sudden racket that was going on, but when Drew Tanaka of all people stomped up the steps to the Apollo cabin and saw Will she started screaming and ran back to tell her siblings.

Nico was about to knock on the Big House door when it opened, revealing Chiron. The man was in his wheelchair, like he always was whenever he went indoors. In his hands he cradled a cup of tea. When he saw Nico he immediately seemed to know what was going on and smiled.

“He’s safe,” Nico told him.

“Nico di Angelo, you never cease to amaze me,” the centaur chuckled. Nico clasped his hand, feeling overwhelmed. His eyes felt hot with tears, and he swallowed hard, beginning to realize how much Will’s absence had affected him.

“Thank you, sir,” he got out. Nico cleared his throat and looked back to the Apollo cabin, where kids were laughing and crying with joy. But when he looked back to Chiron, his expression had become much more somber.

“Word got out quickly about Eros. I just hope Psyche will be alright, the poor dear.”

The son of Hades blinked. He’d almost forgotten that the love god was gone, and he felt like somebody had punched a hole through his chest. “I… I just can’t believe that Eos…”

“I know, Nico. Heavens above, this may be the greatest threat we’ve gotten from a titan since Kronos.” Chiron shook his head. Nico hadn’t seen him this stressed since the battle against Gaea, and he didn’t blame him.

“I’ll destroy her if it’s the last thing I do,” he said roughly. He felt moisture collecting on his eyelashes, and he scrubbed it away. “He-”

_“Nico!”_

The son of Hades turned and almost jumped in surprise when none other than Jason Grace came pelting towards him at top speed. He barely had time to squeak before a pair of big arms wrapped around him and briefly picked him up off the ground.

“Nico, holy Hera! I’m so glad you’re okay!” Jason laughed, blue eyes warm with relief. Nico couldn’t help but smile back, letting the son of Jupiter thump him solidly on the back a few times. “Where have you even been? We tried contacting you once or twice but it was like you dropped off the map.”

Uh-oh. “Umm… promise to not freak out?”

The smile dropped of Jason’s face. “Nico, what did you do this time.”

Nico offered him a strangled grin. “Let’s just saw I’ve set a new record for times any demigod has made it through Tartarus and back.”

Behind them, Chiron spat out his tea.

<> 

After Jason was done freaking out (despite Nico’s protests) he went to wake up Percy so they could have a Little Big Three meeting.

“Dude, either you’ve finally lost it, or you’ve got balls the size of Olympus,” Percy said after Nico gave them the run-down of what his life had been like for the past few months.

“Let’s go for the second choice,” Nico suggested.

Jason scrubbed his face. “Okay, okay. Let me get this straight-“

Nico snorted.

“Very funny, Nico. But seriously, Eos plans to use Aether, Hebes, and Theogonia to power herself up like a Super Saiyan, tear open the void, bring back Selene’s essence, reform her, hopefully _close_ the void, and kick our asses in the meantime? Sounds like a bit of a stretch, even if she is really powerful.”

“Don’t underestimate Eos. I’m sure she’s got half a dozen backup plans in case something goes wrong,” Nico warned. “That crazy lady is, well, _crazy,_ but she’s still got enough brains to know to be careful.”

“How many fighters do we bring?” Jason asked.

Nico thought about that, scratching his head. “Well, us three, Annabeth, Piper, Leo maybe… that should be it. Any more would just get in the way.”

“What? That’s like, six people!” Percy spluttered.

“Nope. I’m bringing the Erotes, too.”

The two other boys stared at him.

“They’re willing to do that?” Jason asked, brows furrowed.

“They want revenge for Cupid. And they’re my friends, too. I’ll find a wind nymph after we’re done so we can set up a time to strike. Favonius has eyes and ears everywhere, so he’ll definitely find her by tomorrow morning,” Nico explained. His heart began to hurt again at the thought of his old teammate, and he forced himself to keep breathing steadily.

Jason looked at him, worry crossing his face. “Nico? Are you okay?”

“I can’t-” He shook his head. “I can’t believe he’s gone. Cupid did so much for me and Will, and Eos just… killed him.”

“Wait, you actually miss that guy? No offense, I’m just… confused?” Jason said uncertainly.

Nico stiffened in anger. “Don’t talk about him like that!”

“Yeah… don’t trash-talk Nico’s god dad,” Percy added. “God… stepdad.”

“Nico, what about Croatia?” Jason demanded. The son of Jupiter didn’t look angry, just very concerned and worried, but that just pissed Nico off even more.

 _“Ugh,_ I thought I was bad with grudges! I _forgave_ him, Jason. I forgave Cupid, because he’s one of the greatest friends I’ve ever had. Besides, that was between me and him, not you. Now shut up and go tell the others to get ready for tomorrow, because we’re taking down that raging ass of a titan with everything we’ve got!”

Jason’s mouth was slightly open, but he closed it with a _click_ and nodded.

“Good. Percy, help me convince the Iris Cabin to let me use their fountain thing.”

After arguing with Butch about the fact it was past curfew he let them in to use their “secret” fountain room. Then the big dude grumbled something about them not dying tomorrow morning and went back to bed.

Psyche was glad to see him, even though Nico could tell she was still exhausted by grief.

 _“Favonius has already warned the Olympians. They’ve all made the choice to make themselves scarce so Eos cannot try to wrangle anything out of them. Well, Aphrodite had to get dragged out by her hair. We’re on the same page for the first time in our lives on what we’d like to do to Eos,”_ Psyche explained dryly. She cleared her throat. _“But yeah. Tomorrow morning we need to get our asses up there before the sun comes up and be ready to throw down with Miss Bitchy. The boys and I will be on Olympus at four-thirty sharp.”_

“Before the sun comes up?” Nico spluttered.

 _“She’s the Titan of the Dawn. From when the sky turns gray in the east to when its completely above the horizon is when she’s at her most powerful, and if we want to not completely die we really should take care of her before then,”_ Psyche told him.

“How do we know she’ll be at Olympus at that time?” Nico asked. Beside him, Percy furrowed his brows.

_“Because one, Favonius has mad spying skills, and two, because she’s a dramatic bitch. Even Apollo’s gotten sick of her shit.”_

“Yeah, that makes sense.”

Psyche smiled. “Go get some sleep, bub. Tomorrow’s a big day.”

Nico grimaced. “Don’t we all know it.”

They shared a brief look that said more than words could describe. The goddess nodded at him before the Iris-Message faded away, and Nico was left in a dark room with Percy looking sadly at where the goddess’s image just was.

“She’s kind of like Mom,” he said.

“Yeah.” Nico sniffed and wiped his nose with his sleeve. “Could you go tell the others to be ready at four-thirty AM? I gotta go talk to Will real quick.”

“Yeah, man, no problem.” Percy’s eyes were full of understanding, and as Nico headed back over towards the Apollo Cabin, he remembered how easy it had been to fall for the son of Poseidon. Maybe he just had a thing for boys who were complete doofuses.

When he slipped into Cabin Seven everybody was already knocked out. Apollo’s soft snores were the loudest thing in the room, and little bird-shaped nightlights lit up every corner and crevice. He didn’t understand how they fell asleep with all that light; then again, he could only sleep if it was darker than the void in his room.

Quietly, he kicked off his shoes and climbed into Will’s bunk. Will mumbled something in his sleep and latched on to Nico as soon as the son of Hades got himself settled, and he had to restrain himself from snorting when a pair of long arms snared around him like vines.

Nico burrowed into Will’s chest and exhaled deeply. He smelled like sunshine and warm blankets, something that was wholly Will Solace and nothing else, with not even the faint stench of sulfur to mar it. He felt a surge of relief at the fact that they had both survived Tartarus with minimal damage. Sure, he knew that they would be dealing with at least a half-years’ worth of nightmares and panic attacks sooner or later, but they had _made_ it.

Then he shifted in annoyance when something poked him from the inside of his hoodie. He scratched at it and felt something underneath the fabric. Confused, he prodded around the inside of it and then pulled out the offending object.

A small white feather shimmered in the dim light.

He stared at it, eyes growing hot with tears. It was one of the little coverts that supported the longer flight feathers, soft, short, and surprisingly strong.

_I’m so sorry, Cupid._

He clutched Will closer to him, clenching his jaw to keep from crying and waking up the whole cabin. Eos was going to regret the day she decided to start this whole shitshow, and Nico was going to be there when she did. By the time he was done with her, she was going to be sobbing every apology under the sun and begging for mercy.

Nico vowed that for every person she’d hurt, for all that she’d taken from him, he would make her pay in every way he could. And she hadn’t just killed the god of love- she had taken away Psyche’s husband, Hedone’s father, the leader of the Erotes. He’d avenge his old friend with everything he had in him.

After all, children of Hades held terrible grudges.

<> 

Nico’s watch alarm went off at three-forty-five in the morning.

Carefully, as to not wake Will, he scooted cautiously out of bed before turning and leaning down to press his lips to his boyfriend’s temple. The son of Apollo made a soft noise and buried himself deeper in the blankets. Nico found his shoes and yanked them on, pretending that he wasn’t taking his time so he could stay with Will just a bit longer.

 _I’ll be back soon, sunshine,_ he promised. Without a sound, he headed for the door, opened it barely wide enough for him to get through, and darted out into the night.

Percy, Annabeth, and Jason were already up. Annabeth was pacing and muttering to herself, gray eyes flashing in the moonlight. Nico would never admit it, but she was one of the few people who could scare him.

“We could have the Erotes take north while we come at Eos from the south, classic pincher movement… But what signal-“ she mumbled.

Nico shook his head. “She’ll know the moment I shadow-travel us up there. Sneaking up on her is out of the question.”

“Damn.”

They stood around for awhile longer, enjoying the night air, or at least trying to.

“The Erotes know what to do?” Jason finally asked. Nico nodded, hoping that Psyche and the others would be ready to face the woman who had killed Cupid. _He_ sure was. Maybe he’d stick her head on his sword and take a selfie with it.

As if reading his thoughts, Leo Valdez and Piper McLean came stalking from the shadows. Leo, as usual, was bouncing all over the place with his dark eyes glinting with determination. Piper looked more solemn. She kept fiddling around with her knife, _Katropis,_ and tapping the blade against the palm of her hand.

“I’m here to kick ass, take names, and avenge my brother,” she declared. Her lovely face was hardened by uncharacteristic seriousness.

Oh, right. Cupid was Piper’s brother; their mother was Aphrodite. Well, half-brother. But he could see where she was coming from. He nodded at her approvingly.

 _“Yeaaahhhh,_ Beauty Queen’s gonna show Eos where she can stick her heels,” Leo cheered.

Nico glanced at his watch. Four-twenty-six. “Everybody ready?”

A chorus of ‘yeahs’ and Leo giving Nico a cheeky thumbs-up later, the son of Hades had everybody hold hands. He steeled himself, took a deep breath, and dropped them into the shadows. Olympus was waiting for them.

 


	32. Mother Dearest, Stop Killing People!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final battle begins.

Olympus at night was truly beautiful. The path that led up to the palace of the gods was lit with ever-burning torches and houses of every color, creating a rainbow that lit up the entire side of the mountain. Above, billions of stars shone more brightly than anywhere else Nico could think of. On the breeze were the smells of bonfire smoke and shadowy forests.

But there was no laughter on the streets, no music wafting up from musicians that played from rooftops and firelit porches. No nymphs hawked from the markets or chatted in the trees. As far as he could tell, the place was pretty much deserted.

Nico didn’t blame them. He wouldn’t have wanted to be here, either.

“She’s here,” Percy muttered, green eyes focused on the mountain’s peak. “I can feel her.”

He could, too. It was the sensation of cold frost on the hairs on your neck, the chilly gray area on the horizon at five in the morning. It made his stomach roll over. Knowing that she probably knew that they were there didn’t help at all, either.

Beside him, Jason fiddled with a coin, the one that could turn into a sword or spear. He didn’t look that scared, but he did keep muttering to Annabeth about something of the other, and the daughter of Athena looked just as concerned as he was. Piper McLean was sharpening her dagger against a cobblestone wall. Leo Valdez was fiddling with some contraption that was making weird clicking sounds like a broken clock.

It wasn’t another three minutes before the Erotes arrived.

Maybe it was a thing with love gods, but when they wanted to the Erotes flew without a sound. Except for Psyche, that was. Psyche didn’t give a shit, that much was obvious when she came thundering down from the heavens with a spiked baseball bat strapped to her back and her bronze knuckled glinting in the dim light. Her daughter, Voluptas, came in right behind her, still looking like the goddess of female motorcyclists.

Nico would have never thought _terrifying_ as a good description of the short goddess, but with a slightly crazed glint in her dark eyes and twitching fingers giving Psyche a rather worrying appearance, he began to rethink that particular thought.

Percy, Jason, Annabeth and Piper stared at the winged gods with wide eyes, and then Piper squeaked when Nico got pulled into a massive feathery hug by a bunch of literal gods.

“Ready to kick ass, kiddo?” Himeros said cheerily despite the sadness in his gray eyes. 

“Yeah.” Nico hugged him back before turning to the other demigods. He took a deep breath, doing his best to not get shaky with fear. In his jacket pocket, he curled his hand around Cupid’s feather. “Thank you. All of you, for coming with me.”

“Hey, little man, like we said. We look after our own.” Anteros slapped him on the back, and Nico almost fell over from the force of it. He snorted at the god, and when Psyche groaned impatiently and hopped up and down in place, he graciously hurried past her and took the lead to the top of Mount Olympus.

<> 

She was waiting for them.

Eos was sitting in front of Hestia’s hearth, the fire dancing in golden rays off her blonde hair. The titaness was stretched out on the plush rug like a cat in front of the fireplace, with a black cloak wrapped around her like a blanket and spilling out on to the marble floor behind her. She reminded Nico of a famous actress, except this woman was far from somebody to be respected and adored.

As they fanned out across the massive room, she gave no inclination that she had heard them come in. When Nico approached her, sword in hand, she looked up at him with one slight tilt of her head, her violet eyes betraying no hint of hostility.

“Sometimes I miss the days of the Ancient Greek and Roman Empires,” she murmured as she turned back to the fire. “Everything seemed simpler back then. Everything was… complete. Now the world is just filled with holes, and anywhere life takes you is filled with uncertainty and loss. And so, I am left to wonder how many more pieces of me can be taken away before I become nothing myself.”

Nico looked down at her. “That’s why you take away from other people, I guess. You may be a titan, but you’re still afraid of dying, aren’t you?”

“Mm. Perhaps I was wrong about mortals and immortals being so different. After all, we are two sides of the same coin.” Eos played with a spark of light along her fingertips.

“Still haven’t changed your mind about Selene, though,” Nico said.

She looked over her shoulder at him with a wry smile on her lips. “You’re a smart boy, Nico di Angelo. It’ll be a pity if I have to kill you.”

“I agree with both of those statements. But I’ve got the Erotes and some of the most powerful heroes in the world ready to tear you a new one, so I’ve got to ask if you really know what you’ve just gotten yourself in to.”

Eos grinned, eyes crinkling as she rose to her feet. “I know everything I get myself into, especially situations like these. You think the _Keres_ are the only ones I have working for me? I have eyes _everywhere,_ son of Hades.”

Cold water ran up his spine, and he tightened his grip on his sword.

In a streak of purple light Eos was flying across the throne room, twin daggers blazing like hellfire and a murderous expression contorting her face. Psyche only managed to avoid getting skewered because she was already so on edge, leaping out of the way like somebody had thrown acid at her. The winged goddess swung her bat at Eos and managed to catch her shoulder, but the titan just shrugged it off and kicked Psyche into Athena’s throne. Voluptas shrieked in rage. Wide-eyed, Jason drew his sword and readied himself to back her up. Annabeth crouched and grinned. Leo raised his chainsaw and revved it like he was in a horror movie, cackling with delight.

Pothos and Hermaphrodite tackled the titan away from their friend and managed to keep her pinned for a second or so before Eos threw them off like they weighed nothing. She leapt upright and unclasped her cloak before tossing it away, grinning like a cat who had gotten the canary. When Hedylogos threw his sword at her she just batted it away with one gauntlet, grabbed it out of midair, and then hurled it right back at its owner. Poor Hedy yelped as the sharp blade shaved off the tips of several primary feathers and made him momentarily lose his balance. Antheros swooped under the other god to help right him before charging Eos himself.

While the two of them wrestled across the marble floor Nico ran over to Psyche. The goddess coughed noisily as he dragged her to his feet.

“Psyche! Get back!” Himeros shouted fearfully.

“I can do this!” she wheezed, holding her stomach. “Just wear her down some more!”

“You are a stupid, _stupid_ woman!”

Nico turned to Psyche. “Uh, are you okay?”

Voluptas waited until Eos had shoved Anteros away from her before pouncing like a very angry owl. She swung one muscular wing into the titaness and managed to knock the wind out of her, and then dodged out of the way as Eos retaliated with a dagger at Voluptas’s face. The younger goddess wasn’t scared that easily, though, and when Eos was open again she went in and sucker-punched the blonde hard enough for her to spit blood.

“My name is Voluptas,” she said. “You killed my father. Prepare to die.”

“Nice hit, sweetheart!” Psyche shouted, patting Nico’s arm. “Save some for me!”

Before Nico could stop her she was already flying, bringing her spiked bat back over her shoulder and smashing it down on Eos’s head. The titan shrieked and grabbed Psyche’s wrist before judo-flipping her on to the floor. Psyche tore her arm away and kicked at Eos’s shins with so much anger the titan of the dawn had to stumble away, right into Piper’s blade. Leo swung at her with his chainsaw and took a chunk of blonde hair right off her head.

“This is for everyone you ever hurt, bitch!” Psyche cried. She lunged for her opponent with all the fury of a thousand hurricanes and tackled her to the floor. Percy yelped and scrambled out of the way of the two goddesses, sea-green eyes wide with fright.

Eos had prepared for the fight well, Nico knew, but she hadn’t been prepared for a pissed-off Psyche. The butterfly goddess beat at Eos like it was the only thing that mattered in life.

“This is for Nico,” she added, driving her bronze knuckles into Eos’s nose. The titan clawed at her, screeching in pain, but Psyche was far from done.

“And this,” she snarled, raising Hedylogos’s sword above her head. _“This is for my husband!”_

She drove it deep into the chest of the titaness. Eos’s violet eyes blew wide. A breathy, low gurgle escaped from her throat, and she twitched violently.

Nico stared in awe, and for a second, he dared to believe it was over.

 _“Madre de Dios,”_ Leo whispered.

But then, Eos came to and glared up at Psyche. She drew a foot up and kicked her in the stomach, forcing her off. Then, with a sickening wet hiss, she grabbed the enchanted sword and pulled it out of her chest.

“You’re much stronger than I gave you credit for, I’ll say that,” she admitted, not seeming to mind the blood spilling down the front of her scarlet dress like a waterfall. “Goddess of the Soul, right? Flawed but durable, reckless, but unyielding, just like the human race. But _why?_ Why _you,_ of all the gods?”

Psyche furrowed her brows, breathing heavily. “The hell are you talking about?”

“The Fates gave you _everything,_ Psyche! A faithful husband who loved you, friends that would die for you in a heartbeat, a devoted daughter. You live a blessed life, and what did you do to deserve it? Go on some _quest?_ What a load of shit. Maybe if I kill you, the Fates will see that every blessing they gave to you they should have given to _me!”_ Eos shrieked. She unsheathed her blades with another scream and hurled them at the goddess, too fast for Nico to see.

Quick as lightning, Hermaphrodite was in front of Psyche, shield raised. The daggers buried themselves in the Celestial Bronze and knocked the little god back, but they didn’t go down.

Eos charged at them, but Hermaphrodite fluttered away, jeering something incredibly rude in Ancient Greek Nico didn’t want to think about too much.

“Get down here, you mangy freak!” Eos snarled.

“Those aren’t my pronouns.”

“Oh, don’t get all politically correct on me!”

While Hermaphrodite taunted Eos, Nico sprinted over to Psyche. The winged goddess was growling in frustration, dark eyes narrowed to slits.

“Psyche, you need to stop,” Himeros was insisting. “If you keep this up-“

“Don’t tell me what to do!” she snapped, but Nico could tell she was losing steam.

“Psyche, what’s going on?” he demanded.

A loud yell made them whip around. Eos had Hermaphrodite by the wing, and with a shout of exertion she flung them into a pillar hard enough for it to break and collapse.

“I’d listen to Himeros if I were you, goddess,” said Eos. “You don’t want to risk losing _another_ loved one, would you?”

“Loved one…?” Nico muttered, and then it hit him. “Oh my gods, you’re _pregnant.”_

Psyche looked away. She looked exhausted.

“Mope all you want, Psyche. If it makes you feel any better, I’ll kill you last out of everybody here so you can watch your entire family die,” Eos offered with a shrug.

“You _fucking-“_

“You’re not going to kill anybody,” Nico hissed. He stormed towards her, sword raised. “If you so much as look at someone funny I won’t tell you about your curse.”

That got Eos’s attention.

“Cupid did mention you didn’t tell the truth. You swore on the River Styx!” she screeched, eyes blazing with a hot yellow light.

Percy, Annabeth, Jason, Leo, and Piper looked at him cluelessly.

“Oh, I told the truth. I told you that the River Phlegethon heals.” He shrugged.

Eos swore at him. “You thrice-damned brat.”

“Yeah. So… how about we make a deal?”

The titaness looked ready to explode.

“Tell us how you plan to get Selene back without the Olympians and what you did with Aether, Hebes, and Theogonia, and I’ll tell you _everything_ this time,” he promised.

“Swear on the Styx, mortal!”

Nico shrugged. “This is it, Eos. The final showdown between us and you. There’s no more reasons to hide. But yeah, I swear on the Styx.”

Eos bared her teeth, and he could practically see her mind whirling, trying to figure out what he was up to. “Lou Ellen found the three gods, as she was destined to. Or rather, whatever was left of them.”

Psyche’s face crumpled. “You killed them? _Why?_ Why would you do that?”

“I needed their essences. The Olympians decided to get out while they still could, so I had no choice but to use what I had available to me. If they had just cooperated with me I wouldn’t have had to do it,” Eos explained, faux remorse dripping from her words.

“Still blaming everybody but yourself,” Nico spat.

“Oh, hush. But I digress. I have the essences nearby, ready for use. Three sources of energy like that should be enough for me to tear open Chaos and get Selene’s essence before it closes. And if it’s not enough, well.” The titan of the dawn smiled, shadows casting her face into darkness. “I have several more gods to use should it come to that. In fact, let’s get this show on the road.”

She raised a hand and snapped her fingers.

“What are you doing, idiot? There’s nobody else but us here,” Pothos snorted.

“False. I told you I had somebody notify me of when you would come here, how many people you were bringing. In fact, I’ve been keeping tabs on you lot for quite some time.”

A rush of wind blew into the ground room, tinted reddish-gold and smelling like spring. It whirled in a circle above their heads before coming down behind Eos and re-forming into a god, who held three translucent crystal balls that were filled with crackling energy.

Nico’s heart dropped like a stone. “No.”

Erotes and demigods alike stared at the newcomer in absolute horror. Voluptas shrank back on herself, russet wings bristling with rage and sorrow.

 _“Favonius?!”_ Psyche screamed. “Fav, what the _fuck?_ You? _You,_ of all people!”

Favonius shook his head, eyes wet with tears. “I-I’m so sorry, guys, I didn’t-“

“After she killed Cupid? After what she tried to do to Nico? _Are you fucking kidding me!”_ she roared. Tears began to stream down her face.

“Wait, what?” Jason muttered.

 “She’s my mother!” the wind god cried. “She’s my mother, and I owed her for something, it was a promise on the Styx-!”

“Shut up!” Pothos shouted, wings spiking in fury. “We don’t care what your excuse is, _bitch._ Tonight, I’m sending you to the Void so Cupid’s essence can beat your ass!”

Nico’s vision was blurring, and he realized he was shaking. Favonius, the harmless, goofy wind god, who was ADHD enough to put any demigod to shame and liked to sleep in until somebody yelled at him. Favonius, who had served Cupid and the Erotes for millennia.

No wonder Eos had found him and Cupid in the Labyrinth, or when he had been in Harlem on that rooftop. Favonius had been tipping her off this entire time.

“Give them to me,” Eos demanded, holding her hand out. Wings drooping, Favonius obeyed, handing the three crystal balls to the titaness. With a jolt of fear, Nico realized that the energy inside of them were the essences of the slain gods.

 _“No!”_ With all his might, he cocked his arm back as far as it would go, but before he could hurl his sword at Eos, she turned to him with a triumphant smile.

“I’m still waiting for your explanation, son of Hades. Tell me about my curse.”

Nico’s heart was still pounding in his chest, but a flare of wild hope made him pull it together. He eyed Psyche, who seemed to realize what he wanted her to do, and she leaned over to Hedylogos and whispered something in his ear.

“So, how are you feeling after the Phlegethon? Any better?” he asked.

“Why, yes. So am I not completely cured yet? Is there something else I need to do as well?” Eos demanded, fists clenched.

He snorted.

“What?” she spat.

Nico took a deep breath, grinning. “Eos, may I just say that you are one stupid lady when it comes to this whole situation.”

She stared at him. _“Excuse_ me?”

“You never figured it out, didn’t you? You’re too wrapped up in your thousands of years’ worth of pity parties. Aphrodite didn’t curse you to be insatiable. It wasn’t her that made you a crazy rapist, or made you lose your mind. She never cursed you at all. The whole thing was completely fake, and she knew you would fall for it, because you were just. That. Stupid.”

And with that, Nico leaned forward on the hilt of his sword and flipped her the bird.

Eos was completely frozen. Beside her, Favonius’s dark eyes were as wide as dinner plates. Leo’s jaw was almost on the floor.

For a long moment, there was nothing but dead silence.

Eos opened her mouth to speak, eyes glowing neon purple with rage, but then Hedylogos dropped from the ceiling and stabbed her through the skull.

Favonius gave a hoarse cry and caught Eos as she crumpled to the ground. Hedylogos spit at them both before flying back over to Psyche.

“Mother!” the wind god cried. Desperately, he grabbed the hilt of the sword and began to yank it out, making golden blood spurt everywhere.

“Titan shish-ka-bob, anyone?” Hedylogos crowed.

“Essence,” Eos croaked. Favonius froze, and then reached out and grabbed one of the crystal balls in the titan’s arms.

“Fav, no!” Psyche shouted, but it was too late. With a loud crash, Favonius shattered it against the floor and watched as the whirling light encased Eos’s bloody head and neck.

The titan was back on her feet in a millisecond, pulling the blade the rest of the way out. The essence seemed to seep into her, and she seemed to glow from the inside out with unrestrained power. She stared in amazement at the golden energy coursing through the veins in the underside of her arm.

When she turned to Favonius, he flinched away, but she simply cupped his cheek. “Thank you, son. You won’t regret this. Now, stand back!”

Nico and the others could only brace themselves as Eos dropped the other two crystal balls on the floor and absorbed the essences into her own. Then, with her eyes glowing pure white, she reached out with one hand and clawed open the fabric of reality itself.

 


	33. Ding Dong! The Witch is Dead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the final fight against Eos, and Nico can only hope that they'll all come out in one piece.

The second Eos tore through to the abyss the entire world seemed to tremble, like some fundamental part of the universe had been ripped away. The tear itself wasn’t that impressive on its own- about three feet long and a few inches wide, but even as Nico watched it elongated and swelled up like a festering wound. Within it, a void so black and endless became visible, and it was too much to even look at.

Somebody grabbed him and dragged him to the floor just before the torn part of reality gave a violent shudder and almost sucked everybody in the room right in.

Through the deafening howl of wind, Nico saw Eos bracing herself against a pillar, grimacing in determination as she reached for the tear. As soon as she touched it, though, she gave a shout of pain and recoiled, and Nico could see that the skin on her hand and arm had been burned. Behind another column, Favonius watched his mother with terrified brown eyes.

“Eos, _stop!_ You’re going to kill us all!” Nico yelled.

The titan didn’t listen. With a cry of determination she lunged again and dug around in the tear. _“Selene!_ Selene, it’s me, Eos! I know you can sense me, just follow the sound of my voice!”

What happened next almost made Nico faint.

As soon as Eos stopped yelling, _something_ from inside the tear touched his mind, something so vast and incomprehensible his legs gave out from underneath him. Nico’s head throbbed with agony at the power surging through it, so incredibly massive that it had black spots dancing across his blurred vision. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw everybody else besides Eos on the floor holding their heads.

It was the sensation of all of reality being liquidated inside his brain, a thousand supernovas threatening to tear apart his very being. Nico couldn’t even open his mouth to scream. But somehow, he sensed that whatever it was, it was holding back.

And then it spoke.

There were no words, just a general sensation of his body bracing itself without him telling it to. It wasn’t a language meant for creatures like him. But Chaos would only do so much for them, Nico realized, and so he sent back a feeling of understanding. The presence in his mind withdrew, leaving him weak and breathless.

_Holy crap._

The vacuum of the Void slowed, and then slowly trickled to a stop. Eos staggered back, clutching her bloodied arm and gasping. They all stared at the hole that had joined Chaos with the living world with the same intensity that a jackrabbit looked up at an eagle as it died in the raptor’s talons.

It rippled, contracted, and then ejected _something_ out from its depths, as if the Void itself just did the universe’s biggest spit-take.

Nico scrambled back as the shimmering mass whipped over their heads. It looped around, flipping and corkscrewing like a formerly caged bird celebrating its freedom, casting shining trails of light wherever it went. It was so beautiful it took his breath away.

Eos watched it in amazement, eyes wide with delight. “I-I did it!”

“Uh, Mother?” Favonius said softly, but the titaness was too wrapped up in her own joy to listen to anybody else. Hesitantly, she reached out for the essence, like a child approaching a wild animal for the first time.

“Is that you, Selene? Come on down, I’ll help you reform,” she ordered.

The godly spirit paused in its antics before dropping down to eye-level with Eos. The titan of the dawn raised a hand to touch it, and the essence shied away.

“Come on, don’t be so difficult, Se-“ Eos sighed, rolling her eyes, but the essence had other ideas. Quick as a flash, it doubled back before slamming into Eos like a tank, sending the titaness flying into the pillar she had been using for support just a few minutes ago.

The essence came down on her like an avenging angel, glowing as if made from the brightest of flames. Eos shrieked in alarm as it circled her, once, twice, and then going faster and faster until it was all but cocooning the other immortal in pure energy.

“What the hell-“ somebody said, but Nico could only stare as Eos collapsed to her hands and knees, glowing like she had been when she had absorbed the essences of the three minor gods. But instead of gaining power, she seemed to be… losing it?

A high-pitched hum filled the air. It rose higher and higher, until Nico was practically vibrating with it. He tasted copper in his mouth. Shards of marble clattered around by his feet.

_“Nico, get down!”_

He was knocked to the floor (again) by Psyche as the spirit violently convulsed, shrank in on itself, and then _exploded._

It was a combustion forceful enough to rival the tear in reality. For what seemed like forever, he didn’t dare look as some kind of light grew bright enough to nearly blind him even with his hands covering his hands.

It was Psyche’s shocked cry that finally made him look up.

There was a star forming before them- or at least, that’s what it looked like to Nico. The essence was now bigger than he was, wrapping in on itself with chaotic tendrils of energy. As he watched, it became vaguely humanoid, shifting and crackling as whatever it was gave everything to try and pull itself back together.

<> 

In the darkness, he slept, not wholly himself but unbothered by it. There was no pain, no light, nothing else other than himself. Of course, that wasn’t true, a small part of him still said, there were others in Chaos with him. In the end, they all came here.

He did not have a body, but somehow he still felt it when a tear in the void opened nearby. It was small, but it was still large enough for the drifting spirit to sense living beings on the other side. A voice shouted, calling for somebody. That was enough for him to became more alert.

He turned away in annoyance. Couldn’t they keep it down over there? Some people were trying to get some well-deserved rest.

_People._

That made him take pause.

Had he been a person, once? The spirit was pretty sure he had. Yes, he had definitely been somebody before, even if he couldn’t quite place it.

The essence shifted, focusing on the tear again. Many of the living beings on the other side were familiar. They made something in him ache.

Something indescribably huge spoke in his thoughts. A nudge towards the tear made him jerk in alarm, even though he had no physical body.

 _Why would I go back?_ he asked to whatever was speaking to him.

It said something else.

Memories played across his mind’s eye. Sunshine, crisp wind under wings, a smile from someone who loved him. A skyline silhouetted against the rising sun, laughing with friends, time passing like water flowing in an unending river.

_I was somebody._

What was he doing? Why was he all alone in the dark? He needed to go back.

_I need to go back._

He needed to go back.

And so when something forced him to the tear, he didn’t resist, even when harsh light and pain made him feel like he was being burned alive.

<> 

Nico couldn’t believe it.

The pure white essence in front of them became more and more solid. Wings erupted from its back in showers of sparks. A form of a tall, lean man with blazing red eyes became distinguishable, still on fire all over from reforming.

He turned to Eos, and while his face was still more made of light than anything else, it was obvious he was very, _very_ angry.

Then he was right in front of her, hand raised, and sent it at full force into Eos’s face. The titaness smacked into Hades’s throne and laid there, stunned.

Nico stepped forward, one foot in front of the other. His eyes were filled with hot moisture. There was no way this was actually happening, right? It was impossible; nobody came back from Chaos, hardly anybody came back from _Tartarus_ other than the monsters that respawned down there. It just didn’t happen. He was distantly aware of somebody yelling in surprise- was that Piper or Annabeth?

But the god standing before him, still barely a stable physical form, was undeniably Cupid.

Glowing eyes locked with his. Still in shock, Nico stared up at him as the god strode over, and carefully, the son of Hades reached out and touched his hand. It felt like dipping his fingers in electricity, but somehow it didn’t hurt. Cupid hugged him, and Nico threw his arms around his torso and let the tears fall.

That must have been all he needed to finally come all the way back, because the love god stopped glowing and finally solidified.

Nico looked up into warm amber eyes, the same color as the sunlight that was just beginning to stream from underneath the horizon and through the windows of the throne room. Something about him was a little different- less terrifying, a little softer around the edges. His black hair was messed up like he had gotten run over by a tornado. The slightly dazed expression on his face matched it, too. Nico supposed that was the after-effect of coming back to life when you didn’t even have a physical body to work with.

“I told you I wasn’t going anywhere,” Cupid told him, smiling.

 _“Cupid?!”_ The love god suddenly had his arms full of Psyche, and then Voluptas, and before Nico could so much as blink they were surrounding by crying, laughing immortals.

“You absolute bastard,” Pothos chuckled, half-sobbing. “I thought my last words to your dumb ass was that I hated you!”

“You’re still a bastard, but we love you,” Hedylogos added.

Hermaphrodite was bawling too hard to talk, but they gave Cupid a double thumbs-up and tried to wipe away their tears without ruining their eyeliner. Himeros was holding Cupid’s arm and crying like a little kid.

Behind a pillar, Favonius's cheeks were streaked with tears, and there was hope and joy written on every square inch of his face.

“Are you,” a voice said from behind them, _“Fucking_ kidding me?”

Nico turned to see Eos forcing herself to her feet, ichor dribbling from her mouth and staining the front of her dress. The look on her face could only be described as completely insane. Ice water ran up his spine, and he instinctively grabbed Cupid’s arm.

“You’ve lost, Eos!” Jason shouted, lightning crackling around him. “It’s time to _stop.”_

The titaness didn’t seem to hear him. Something in her had finally snapped, and Nico could tell that nothing would be able to heal her now. Her pale eyes were oddly blank, opaque, like all the depth and intelligence had gone right out of them.

With a scream chilling enough to make even Cupid leap back in fear, she lunged- not at the god himself, but at Nico.

Nico had his sword driven into her chest before she finished her cry.

They locked eyes, violet into dark brown.

“It’s not over until I’m nothing but a spirit,” Eos rasped. She grabbed the Stygian blade and pushed herself off it with a rattling shriek. “I… am getting my sister back!”

Suddenly, Nico was ten years old again, all alone and terrified. He had been so convinced that it was his right to bring Bianca back from the dead; he was the son of Hades! It hadn’t been her time, it couldn’t have been, she was only _twelve!_

But it had taken the near-death of his friends, of Percy, whom he had been so smitten with at the time, to make him see that life and death were alike in the sense that they were both unfair. People died all the time; babies, kids, adults. It was just how the universe worked.

It was how things had to be.

“I lost my sister too, Eos,” Nico said softly. “We both can understand how that feels. And it’ll hurt forever. But you can’t live off that pain for the rest of your life. Nobody can be happy like that, whether they’re a god or a mortal.”

Eos stared up at him, exhausted and broken. He didn’t pity her, she had gone too far for him to ever feel bad for the titaness, but if she could just see it was time to lay down her arms…

“Then I’ll live off my hatred,” she spat. “Because I loathe every single one of you. I don’t regret a single thing I did!”

“Even all the people you’ve hurt?” Cupid hissed, wings bristling.

Eos glared up at him and shook her head.

“Then it’s settled.” Cupid grabbed her arms and pinned them behind her back. “The world has no use for people like you. I sentence you to death, Eos, for the countless crimes against innocent people since the near beginning of time.

“You want to be with your sister again? Here you go,” Psyche crooned.

“It doesn’t matter if you kill me or not,” Eos chuckled, turning to look at Nico. “I’ll be with you forever, Nico di Angelo. Every time a lover pulls you in close, in every intimate moment for the rest of your life, you’ll remember me.”

He stared at her, hard. “You forgot, Eos. I’m human. In case you haven’t noticed, we can heal from some pretty rough things. What you tried to me won’t be the end of my life. By the end of this year, you’ll be nothing but a bad memory.”

She heaved a breath, teeth bared in rage and desperation, and flung Cupid over her head and slammed him into the marble. In the blink of an eye she was halfway across the throne room, sprinting for the doors like her life depended on it, which it kind of did.

“Get her!” Nico shouted, but as it turned out, Chaos was one step ahead of him.

Black tendrils shot from the tear that still floated almost six feet above the floor. Fast as light, they snared around Eos and yanked her back towards the Void. The titaness screamed in pure terror, clawing at the air for a grip on something, anything.

In the last moment that the Titan of the Dawn lived, there was something in her cries that might have been regret.

She disappeared into nothing, and Eos was no more.

 


	34. The Lord of the Universe Needs A Drink (And Ares Is Shook)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eos is gone, but the aftermath might bring more than Nico could ever imagine.

One minute the tear was there, pulsing violently and infinitely black, and the next it was collapsing in on itself until there was nothing left but the taste of metal in the air and a distant ringing in Nico’s ears.

The silence that followed was deafening in its magnitude.

For a long moment, nobody spoke. Not even Himeros or Psyche, who usually had some smart-ass comment for these kinds of situations, had anything to say. A kind of unspoken agreement hung in the air to not try and make light of what had just happened. It had just been too much, even for any of the gods.

Nico stared at the spot where Eos had vanished into. She wouldn’t be coming back, he knew, not unless Chaos decided to kick her out and she somehow managed to reform. But something told him that wouldn’t be happening.

Percy was the first one to move, shuffling awkwardly towards the great doors and tugging Annabeth along with him. Piper, Hermaphrodite, and Hedylogos followed them.

But Cupid didn’t do the same. He peered around the pillar by Demeter’s throne, one dark brow raised with an almost amused expression on his face. “Favonius, I can still see your wing.”

Two dark brown eyes appeared in the shadows, wide with fear. The wind god reminded Nico of a kid who was about to get a good ass-whooping, which he liked, considering the fact that the guy had betrayed them all by ratting them out to Eos. When Cupid tilted his head, silently ordering him to come over, Nico was extremely pleased to see Favonius’s face went from mildly scared to completely terrified.

Out of the corner of his eye, Nico saw Pothos grin.

Favonius slunk up to the god he had served for millennia, head bowed low and sunset-hued wings drooping at his sides.

“Ooh, he’s gonna _get it,”_ Voluptas sniggered.

“Shh,” Psyche scolded under her breath, but her eyes were still narrowed at her old friend.

Cupid looked down at Favonius as he came to a stop before him. The russet-winged god wasn’t meeting Cupid’s eyes.

“So.”

Favonius flinched.

“You give away Nico’s location several times, you keep Eos informed on our plans, gather the essences of poor Theogonia, Aether, and Hebes, all while knowing the crimes Eos is guilty of. I probably should have tossed you into Chaos after the titan,” Cupid murmured.

“And he knew Psyche’s pregnant,” Hedylogos called from beside Annabeth.

“And tha- _wait, what?!”_

Psyche gave her husband finger guns. “Ayyyy.”

Cupid stared at her, mouth hanging open and amber eyes as big as dinner plates. His wings spread out slightly and fluffed up. A huge smile split his face. _“Really?”_

“Yeah! Seven weeks along. I was going to surprise you, but…” her voice trailed off. Nico knew she was still in shock over Cupid’s death, and now she had his reforming to deal with as well.

Cupid looked the happiest Nico had ever seen him. Then something seemed to occur to him, and he rounded on Favonius with eyes like hellfire.

“You betray our friends, my wife, _and_ my unborn child?” he snarled.

“Cupid, I-“ Favonius stammered, backing away with his hands raised, but the love god was having none of it. One second, he was there, wings flared in rage and hands clenched into fists, and the next he had simply disappeared. An unseen force slammed into Favonius, and then Cupid was visible again as he and his former servant wrestled across the floor.

“Kick his ass, Dad!” Voluptas screamed.

“Yeah, go Cupid!” Pothos cheered. The other Erotes joined in,

Nico would have loved to borrow Annabeth’s phone to record the whole thing and put it on WorldStar, but before he could turn around to ask the air began to crackle and smell like ozone. Thunder boomed loud enough to make his ears ring. When he looked up, there was a god sitting on one of the thrones, looking down at them with electric blue eyes.

“I admit, even I didn’t expect things to get this… out of control,” Zeus said, eyeing Cupid and Favonius, who were still on the floor, with Cupid having the other god in a chokehold.

<> 

In a surprisingly short period of time, all the other Olympians had arrived.

Nico stood next to Cupid and the other Erotes. Psyche had her arm looped through her husband’s, both for comfort and so that he didn’t try attacking Favonius again.

“Bastard had it coming,” Cupid was grumbling, still glaring at Favonius across the throne room. Said wind god was hiding behind Demeter and trying to make himself look as small as possible. Nico rolled his eyes and looked away.

Coward.

Nico looked up at Cupid, and he managed to push the anger aside. “Hey.”

“Mm?”

“I’m glad you’re back.”

A smile made the god’s eyes turn up. He ruffled Nico’s hair, like he had developed a habit of doing over their time questing together. Nico leaned into the contact, feeling a lump growing in his throat. Maybe he was just really tired but seeing his friend again and knowing he was alive and okay made him want to cry in relief.

“What could they be talking about?” Psyche muttered to them. Nico immediately knew what she was talking about- Zeus, Hera, Aphrodite, and Hades were all standing in a close circle, talking urgently. They were too quiet for him to hear, but he didn’t need to know lip-reading to get the feeling that it was about to get real.

“A god and a hero just completed a quest together for the first time in history. I have know doubt they’re losing their minds over the implications that brings,” Cupid huffed. He didn’t look too happy, either.

Nico’s mind suddenly flashed back to the prophecy. _By the will of the Fates and the oldest gods/ An immortal and a hero stand against all odds…_

Okay, check.

_To take back the morn’s unlawful will to keep/ To guide a tired goddess back to her sleep…_

Defeated Eos and let Selene get some well-deserved shut-eye. Check.

_For time’s cruel march may take away all/ The choice to fly, the choice to fall._

That was the part that still had Nico confused. The choice to fly or fall?

Before he could ask Psyche what she thought of it, Zeus and the other gods took their seats, and a hush instantly fell across the throne room.

“We gather here today to discuss the events of the past several months and Eos’s demise,” Zeus began. “First, I would like to commend the Erotes, as well as the heroes from Camp Half-Blood in their vital aid in the final battle against Eos.”

Percy, Annabeth, Jason, Piper, and Leo all stood up straighter as a smattering of applause echoed off the marble and gold walls. Himeros winked at a nymph who was serving Coca-Cola to Dionysus. The nymph just about tripped over her own feet.

“But what I think we would all like to hear is what happened from Nico and Eros’s point of view. Come forward, the both of you.”

Heart hammering in his chest, Nico walked side by side with Cupid until they were before Zeus, the Lord of the Universe and who wasn’t all too fond of children of Poseidon or Hades.

It was then he realized that he was going to have to tell them all everything that had happened. _Everything._

Nico wanted to hide behind Cupid until it was all over, but then he met Aphrodite’s eyes. The goddess of love was sitting up straight, concern furrowing her brow. She met his eyes and nodded encouragingly.

“It started in Harlem,” Nico said, voice dry. He cleared his throat and began telling the Olympians and his friends of his quest. It took a bit, but eventually the words began to come easier and easier.

When it came to him sneaking off to Los Angeles, Cupid stiffened and put a hand on his shoulder. “Nico, you don’t have to tell this part.”

“I want to. This is my choice, and they need to know the kind of person Eos was,” he told him. Louder, he told everyone about his talk with Eos at her mansion.

When it came down to it, he kept it simple. “Eos tried to rape me.”

An outraged snarl came from somewhere behind him, followed by Percy swearing up a storm. Piper gasped. In front of him, several Olympian’s eyes narrowed, and Artemis drew herself up with her teeth bared in anger. Hades shut his eyes, expressionless.

“If it hadn’t been for Cupid, I wouldn’t have gotten away in one piece. He made it in the nick of time.” Nico swallowed. “And he helped me keep it together when I woke up the following morning, too. In case anybody in this room thinks Eos wasn’t a threat, I offer my promise on the River Styx that everything I just said was true. I wasn’t the first she targeted, and if we hadn’t taken her down I wouldn’t have been the last.”

He took a deep breath and continued.

Cupid told his part about his visit to New Rome, and then Nico told his daytrip to Camp Half-Blood. Then the son of Hades took over again for the return to Los Angeles, Hyperion, back to Chicago again. He explained the conflict at New Rome and the attempt on his life by Dennis the Dumbass, as he had mentally dubbed the hostile Roman, before Cupid saved his life (again). The Labyrinth was hard to talk about as well, but he managed.

Then Canada (he managed to gloss over his panic attack to save whatever dignity he had left), the weird old dude with the moldy cabin, and meeting back up with the Erotes in Chicago to figure out how to save Will.

Recalling the River Cocytus was awful; the sheer amount of pain in just the memory of projecting his misery to attract the _Keres_ to him while the Erotes tried to find Will. When he told them about his talk with Cupid and forgiving him, Psyche started to silently cry.

“That pain was my doing,” Cupid said to the Olympians. “I beat and outed him when we met for the first time in Croatia. But he still forgave me.”

Nico didn’t miss the way Aphrodite’s eyes filled with tears as she gazed at her son.

And then, Tartarus.

He heard Percy say “Holy shit,” more than once, and he was pretty sure he got a “Fuck,” out of Annabeth. Leo whistled softly when he described dragging Will’s half-dead ass out of that cave and to the Doors of Death.

It was dead silent in the room when he got to the part where Eos showed up and fought Cupid. He could barely keep his voice from cracking as he recalled when he had woken up in Will’s arms, still barely conscious, and felt Cupid’s death.

“… It was Chaos who really ended it,” Nico concluded. “As Eos tried to run away these weird tendrils of darkness or… something… shot out from the tear and dragged her in. So yeah, we won thanks to… them? What pronouns does Chaos use, does anybody know?”

Judging by the silence, nobody knew Chaos’s pronouns.

“A question I have is why a _god_ sacrificed himself for a mortal?” Ares demanded, looking pointedly at Cupid over his shades.

Cupid stiffened. “Because, like any responsible adult, I put the safety of a child before myself? It’s not a very difficult concept to grasp.”

“Don’t get smart with me, boy,” the god of war warned.

“Impossible not to do, considering you act like you’re next to witless.”

“You little-!”

“Order, please,” Zeus called, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

Nico squirmed anxiously and made sure he was as close to Cupid as possible without it being weird. He was _not_ going to end the night getting blasted by a pissy god.

“A more important topic we need to discuss, Ares, is what this means for both gods and heroes,” Hera spoke up. She glared sternly at her son, who grunted and sat back in his throne.

Zeus nodded. “Indeed. Never have immortals and mortals associated in a quest together until now; us aiding directly in mortal affairs is forbidden. Nothing like this can ever happen again.”

“Agreed,” Ares said.

Shock made Nico’s stomach drop. Were the Olympians so eager to rid themselves of the memory of what the past winter had brought? He and Cupid had defeated one of the most powerful titans of all time!

“We are grateful to you both that the world has been rid of Eos. But such close relationships between gods and heroes cannot be. We will live for as long as our names remain in the minds of humankind, and your lives are so very short,” Zeus said firmly.

“But it can, my Lord!” Cupid said sharply. “We cannot hold ourselves so distantly from them, especially when there’s so much to be gained. I’ve _changed._ A pair of eyes I didn’t even know were closed have been opened within me. How I’ve been able to keep myself frozen in time for so long is beyond me, but now that I’ve walked in the path of a hero, I never want to go back. I _can’t_ go back.”

“He’s crazy,” Demeter muttered.

“Perhaps I am. But I feel more alive than I have in five thousand years. All our lives, we’ve believed that gods change as slowly as eroding rock and our destines are unchangeable, but what I’ve discovered is that we don’t _want_ to change. Just like spoiled children, we wait until the future serves us with what it must. So why must fate force our hands before we adapt to the ever-changing world?” Cupid demanded.

The love god’s declaration was met with absolute silence.

A few of the Olympians looked at each other. Poseidon whispered something to Hades, who blinked and looked uncertain.

“You’re saying we should be more like humans?” Ares snorted.

“No. But we should try and learn from them.”

That seemed to floor the Olympian. The tension went from his shoulders, and he looked away from his son.

“The world is not what it once was,” Artemis said, nodding in agreement with Cupid. “If we do not evolve with it, we risk what so many of the animals I try to protect vanish from: extinction. Humans grow exponentially now, not century by century of trial and error.”

“So what do you suggest we do, Lord Eros?” Zeus asked, the look on his face suggestion he was totally out of his depth.

“For starters, be _actual_ parents. And no, not just claiming your children by the time they’re twelve. Honestly, I’ve met rocks who are better mothers and fathers than you lot. Visit your damn kids. Tell them they are strong, tell them they are loved and worthy. Listen to what they have to say and guide them when they need it,” Cupid stated.

Now the Olympians looked thoughtful.

Athena was deep in thought, and Nico could practically see the steam rising from her brain as she mulled it all over. “It’s true that strengthening the bond between us and the mortal world would also strengthen us. Artemis is right. We long for the days of Ancient Greece and Rome, when we were at our most powerful, but our return to our former glory could have been right in front of us the entire time!”

Several of the gods started talking excitedly, and Zeus had to call for order.

The King of Olympus looked like he needed a hard drink, but he managed a weak smile. “We will revise and make our final decision on this at the Summer Solstice. For now, we feast and rest ourselves in honor of Lord Eros and Nico di Angelo.”

Nico whooped and flung himself into Cupid’s arms. As the meeting disassembled, the morning light of the first day of spring shone in on them all.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Btw some good songs for this story are:
> 
> To Be Human - Sia  
> Fire and the Flood - Vance Joy  
> Heartlines - Florence and the Machine  
> Saturn - Sleeping at Last


	35. Selene Offers Advice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to head home, and goodbyes are always hard to do.

In true Olympian fashion, the next thing they all did was ate and partied.

When Nico finally managed to get Psyche’s attention for more than a second (Hera found out she was pregnant and was probably just as excited as Cupid was) and asked her about the final lines of the prophecy, she just laughed.

“Wasn’t it obvious, Nico? It was about you and Cupid saving us. _The choice to fly, the choice to fall:_ what made the difference between us separating ourselves from the rest of the world and convincing us to rejoin it, so that we can continue to live many more millennia.”

The goddess winked at him and was swept away by Hera and Demeter.

And no, he wasn’t just following Psyche around because he was avoiding his friends. He wasn’t anxious about facing them after all he had just talked about. Ha ha.

Okay, yeah, he was a little nervous.

So, he waited until their backs were turned, and then snuck up on them and casually immersed himself into the group.

It was Annabeth who noticed him first. She swept him up into a bear hug, quickly followed by everybody else, which ended up with him being smushed in the middle of five other emotional demigods who all really needed a nap.

“Wait until Hazel and Reyna find out what went down. They didn’t even get a punch in at Eos the Asshole,” Leo joked.

“Reyna’s gonna kill me,” Nico agreed.

Piper inhaled shakily. “We’re just glad you’re okay.”

“Holy crap, Nico,” was all Percy said.

Jason nodded, his eyes shut. When Nico started squirming they released him, which he appreciated. There was only so much non-Will physical contact he could stand.

“I’ll be fine, guys. Really,” he promised.

“We know you will,” Jason told him, a smile finally spreading across his face. Something caught his eye, and Nico followed his line of sight to Cupid, who was bickering with Psyche over names for their new kid. For the first time, there was no hostility on the son of Jupiter’s face.

Loud shouts make him turn around, and Nico broke into a huge grin as Will, Lou Ellen, and Cecil came flying through the great doors to the throne room. The first thing that his boyfriend did upon seeing him was scoop him up into his arms and cover his face with kisses.

“You,” _Kiss._ “Are,” _Kiss._ “An idiot.” _Kiss._

“Yeah, but I’m your idiot,” Nico told him as he let himself flop over in Will’s arms, a goofy expression making its way across his face.

Will groaned and feebly smacked at his shoulders. Nico got the feeling that he was going to get chewed out later for not dragging the son of Apollo along with him, but for now, he just laced his finger’s through Will’s and enjoyed the warmth of the other’s hand.

He loved his boyfriend.

Lou Ellen and Cecil were happy to see him, too, but Nico could see the sadness in Lou Ellen’s hazel eyes as she tried to force a smile.

“You did everything you could, Lou,” Nico said quietly. “Sometimes quests don’t end the way you’d expect them too.”

“I just… I feel like I let them down. Hebes and Aether and Theogonia, I mean. They’re gone, Nico. Three gods who will never see another sunrise,” Lou Ellen whispered.

“I know, Lou. I know.” The son of Hades squeezed her hand before silently signaling Cecil to give her another hug, who complied immediately. As soon as he did so, a bit of sadness melted from Lou Ellen’s face, and a tint of red appeared on her cheeks.

Nico congratulated himself on his success and then noticed Cupid quietly slipping out the doors behind them.

“Hang on, I gotta talk to somebody real quick,” Nico told Will, who nodded, absorbed in a story Cecil was telling- something about getting stoned and fighting a hydra except the hydra was actually a telephone pole.

That kid was so weird.

Nico scooted out the doors and looked around. Not too far away, in a massive oak tree that seemed to touch the sky itself, a lean winged figure perched on one of its branches.

He dropped into the shadows and reappeared on the branch above the god. In the same second, he regretted it when he lost his grip and fell, only to slam into the limb below with a pained grunt.

A strong pair of hands steadied him and hauled him upright.

“Thanks,” Nico wheezed, bracing himself on Cupid until he got his balance back. The love god laughed and spread one huge wing to shield Nico from the wind- it might have been technically spring, but New York didn’t seem to have gotten the memo quite yet.

“Festivities too much for you?” Cupid asked.

“Nah. I just wanted to talk to you.” He swung his feet back and forth. “I want to thank you. For everything you’ve done for me and Will.”

The love god smiled. “No, child. It is I who needs to thank _you._ I wouldn’t have become a better person if I hadn’t met you and went on this journey. The Olympians might think me odd because of how I’ve changed, but I wouldn’t have given any of this up for the world.”

“I’m glad. You kinda are different since you came back from Chaos, though. Less… sharp around the edges, I guess,” Nico realized. It wasn’t a huge transformation, nothing that most other people would notice, but it was there in the comforting glow of slightly less intense amber eyes, the smile that was now more genuine than cocky.

“All of the things I stood for expanded. I used to be the god of love- sensual love, the bond between romantic partners. But now, I…” Cupid shook his head, looking a little overwhelmed. “I suppose it’s become much more than that. Now, I’m the god of love, and new families, and the bond between fathers and their children. Honestly, I have a major case of emotional whiplash.”

“I don’t blame you,” Nico said, amazed. He didn’t know how the god knew all that just a few hours after being reborn, but immortals were all a little weird. They knew things most other creatures didn’t.

Cupid turned to him, relaxing again. “But we all have much to look forward to. Hades will be overseeing the funerals for Aether, Hebes, and Theogonia, may the Fates rest their souls, and everybody knows Hades holds the best funerals.”

Nico snorted. “He’s the only person I know who makes funerals exciting. There might be exploding zombies; I’m just warning you now.”

“I appreciate it. When I’m through with Favonius I’ll drag him along and make him shield everybody else from rotting projectiles.”

“Pfft!”

They sat in comfortable silence for awhile longer. The laughter and music from the throne room and the marketplaces below filled the air, just loud enough to be noticeable. Just above, the sun shone down on them, melting away the cool morning frost and mist. Olympus was one of the few places Nico could say held good memories, and he was glad that trend didn’t seem to be changing anytime soon.

But as he and Cupid made their way down to rejoin the celebration, which was slowly winding down, an evitable sadness rose up from his gut and made his throat feel thick.

Nico looked up at the love god with a world of unhappiness weighing him down. “This is goodbye, isn’t it?”

“… For now.” Cupid rested a hand on his shoulder. “There is still much work to be done with the new world we have made, and I know there will still be resistance within the Olympians’ ranks. And you must get back to your own life.”

He knew the love god was right, but it still hurt more than Nico could have ever imagined. Swallowing painfully, he threw his arms around Cupid and hugged him hard. His eyes were hot with tears, but he managed to keep it together, mainly because he was about to go home soon and didn’t want his friends worried about him more than they already were.

“I’m gonna miss you,” he managed.

“I’ll miss you too.” For a second, Cupid’s calm expression became strained, and his breath shook a little. It was clear he was holding back.

His friends came to get him then, exhausted but happy and ready to go back to camp.

“Ready to go?” Jason asked with a yawn. Percy was falling asleep on Annabeth’s shoulder and already started to drool.

“Uh, yeah, be right down,” Nico told him. “Go ahead without me.”

“Sure.” Jason nodded respectfully to Cupid, who smiled, before tugging the rest of them along. Will gave him a warm look as he passed him and the god.

As soon as his friends were out of earshot Nico looked back up at Cupid. “One more question. Aren’t you the god of protecting gay people?”

“Why, yes, I am. Is this about me beating you up, or-“

“Nonono! I was just wondering why you got the job when Aphrodite was more of the general-love kind of goddess,” Nico explained.

A slow smirk spread across Cupid’s face. “Probably because she wouldn’t truly understand the turmoil gay people often go through during their lives. Unlike me, she exclusively prefers the romantic company of those of the opposite gender.”

“Okay, cool.” Nico prepared himself for his last goodbye, trying to not get too emotional, when what Cupid had just said fully registered. “Wait.”

The love god smirked and hugged Nico one more time. “Goodbye, Nico di Angelo. May the Heavens smile upon you, always.”

“Wait.”

Cupid was already turning to leave. “And tell that boy of yours I said hello.”

“You…” Nico spluttered.

Cupid gave him a knowing look out of the corner of his eye, laughed, and with a whirl of hot summer wind and the scent of a thunderstorm lingering in the air, he was gone.

Nico stared at the spot where the love god just was for a solid minute. Then, he threw his head back and laughed so hard they probably heard him in the city below. A few tears ran down his cheeks, but not entirely from sorrow as he ran down to join his friends at the elevator that would take them back down to Earth.

<> 

Cupid watched the boy go from the roof of the palace. At his side stood Psyche, resting her head on his arm. As always, her comforting presence made everything seem a little more manageable, less heart-wrenching than it normally would have been.

He might have been the god of love, but in that moment, he very much understood the feeling of a broken heart.

“Why do they always have to go, Psyche?” he asked, voice cracking. “Why must they always grow up and leave?”

“Being a parent wouldn’t be complete without watching them grow wings of their own,” his wife told him. She watched Nico and his friends go proudly, until the elevator doors closed and they were on their way home.

“It won’t be the same without him around,” Cupid lamented.

“No, it won’t. But you know he’ll remember you. You’ve bonded with him in a way even Hades hasn’t,” Psyche told him with a smile.

“Don’t let him hear you say that,” he chuckled. “I like having my physical form in one piece. But you’re right, of course; I _was_ the better father to the child,” he boasted.

Psyche smiled even wider and patted her belly. “Ready to do it again?”

“Oh, _hell_ yes.”

<> 

That night, Nico dreamed.

He stood in Eos’s mansion, surrounded by beautiful marble pillars and crystal chandeliers. When he looked out the tall windows that lined the corridor, the city of Los Angeles glittered beneath him like a galaxy come to life on Earth.

Despite what had happened within these walls, Nico felt no fear. His only company was the moonlight that washed everything in snowy-white magic and lit up the night better than any lantern ever could. He lifted his head, enjoying the gentle breeze blowing through one of the open windows.

A shimmer in one of the moonbeams made him glance over. Beside him stood a lovely young woman with shining golden hair, but unlike her sister, her eyes were pure silver.

Selene was transparent enough to see through clearly, and Nico knew she didn’t have enough time before she faded back to the Void.

 _Thank you,_ she told him.

“I just wished something could have been done about her sooner,” he said regretfully.

The titan of the moon shook her head at him. _There is no room in life for what ifs and if onlys, Nico di Angelo. Shame will only hold you back from the rest of your life._

“Yeah. Easier said than believed, though,” he muttered.

 _I know._ She smiled at him. _But you are the strongest hero of all time. It was you who gave the god of love his wings, who brought gods and mortals back together. Never forget that._

Nico finally returned her smile. “I won’t.”

Selene bowed to him, and when he blinked, she was gone.

He woke to Will Solace’s arms around him and the smell of moonlight and the coming summer in his lungs. Like he had done all his life, he would gather himself back together, one piece at a time. As he had always done, and always will, Nico di Angelo would carry on.

 

 


	36. Epilogue: Fire And The Flood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One decade later...

Cupid watched as Nico and Will danced together under the glow of paper lanterns. They both looked splendid, of course. Everybody else in attendance watched from a respectful distance as the young couple swayed together in the shadows of the warm summer night. Behind him, at the pavilion, people laughed and drank, and in his mother’s case, cried. He heard Grover Underwood remark that he had never seen either of the two young men smile as much as they had that evening.

That was to be expected, in Cupid’s opinion. He was the one who married them, after all, and him being the god of love and family only made him more determined to make sure everything had been perfect for the ceremony. These kind of events, to put it in that one mortal saying, was right up his alley.

An almost-silent whisper of feathers made him glance to his left, where Tharros stood with a drink in his hand and a smile on his face.

“Did Himeros give you that?” Cupid asked dryly.

“Hey, I’m no snitch!” The boy stuck his tongue out at his father, who, as usual, found it impossible to be cross with him. He truly was Cupid’s son, with the same striking amber eyes and tall frame that allowed him to stand out from any crowd. The only differences were his darker skin and raven-black wings. It wasn’t invisible from a distance, but he also sported a long scar up the side of his neck- a painful reminder that _Keres_ and even a few kinds of monsters were still strong enough to take out a young god, even when most of them had long since retreated to Tartarus after the defeat of their mistress.

Tharros shook out one massive wing. “Can you tell me the story of how you and Nico di Angelo met again?”

“Even though I just told it when I made my speech earlier?” Cupid chuckled.

“Um, there was this cute hero, and he asked if I was busy later, so I was _kind_ of distracted,” Tharros explained with an air of superiority.

Yes, gods grew up fast in every way, but it still made Cupid want to track down whoever this “cute hero” was and give them a good talking-to about dating his son.

“Alright, you little pain. It all began in Croatia…”

As he retold the story of the demigod who had changed the world, the first stars began to come out, one at a time like they were waiting for another one of its brethren to make the first move. Nico di Angelo was braver than any star, any god, in his opinion, and it had truly began to show when Cupid’s son started to grow up. He had been influenced by the demigod before he was even born. After all, his name was Tharros, the god of courage, perseverance, and healing.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't even know where to begin. 
> 
> How do I even thank you guys? I have gotten nothing but support and love the moment I posted the first chapter of this story. I had no idea everybody would like this so much. To every reader who has commented, I want you to know how valid and wonderful you are. I've had a seriously rough year, but all of you dudes made it all just a little more bearable. You people were my Psyche- the extra boost to get out of bed in the morning, a nice thing that happens during the day that makes everything a little better. Thank you so, so much. 
> 
> I know some of you have been asking for a sequel of some kind, and I promise you that I'll write something for you guys later, but I'm going to be taking a short break from PJO while I work on and post the other fanfiction I've been writing. Who here read Warriors growing up? ;)


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